


Unorthodox

by Nariva



Series: Champions [1]
Category: Justice League (2017), Shazam! (2019)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Foster Family, Awkwardness, Billy Freaks Out, Childhood Trauma, Complete, Crying, Darla Is Cute, Demons, Father-Son Relationship, Foster Care, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, How Are There Not Thousands Of Stories With This Premise?, Hugs, Past Child Abuse, Post-Justice League (2017), Redemption, Serious Injuries, Sivana Is Not Prepared To Be A Dad, Superpowers, Thaddeus Sivana Redemption, The Wizard Sucks At Everything, Wonder Woman Can Fly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-29
Updated: 2019-09-12
Packaged: 2020-01-31 20:06:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 37
Words: 24,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18598480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nariva/pseuds/Nariva
Summary: In order to play up to the family first motto of Sivana Enterprises, Thaddeus's father pressures him to foster a child.He picks Billy Batson.





	1. Sivana, Meet Billy

     He'd never given much thought to the idea of having a family- no woman had stuck around long after he'd told them of his true pursuits, and no women meant no children. Or at least it had, right up until the second he'd been called into his father's office. Sid had been there, smiling in his uniquely patronizing way as their father had explained what was going to happen.

     _"For the betterment of the company_ ," he could still clearly recall the man saying. The betterment of the company? What about _him_? Thaddeus hadn't dared ask though, he'd known the answer his father would have given him.

     "-a good child, he's just a little rough around the edges," the foster agency woman's voice made him blink, and he straightened in his seat and refocused on her as she continued. "I know things will be tough at first, but we'll be here if you ever need someone to talk to. I've worked with Billy for a little over four years now, no one knows that boy better that than I do. Here," she shifted, pulling a small card out of the stack of papers strewn across her desk. She handed it to him, and he slipped it into his breast pocket as she smiled. "It's my number and extension, feel free to call whenever you need to." The dark haired woman paused, clearly expecting him to reply.

     "Thank you," he told her, and her smile widened. "I'll make sure to keep that in mind." She stood from her desk, pushing her seat in before she made her way around to the door behind him. The woman opened it, looking back at him.

     "He's waiting in our pickup room," she told him, "come on, I'll introduce you!" Thaddeus stood up from the creaky seat, readjusting his trench coat as he followed her out. They walked together down the white tiled hallway, the woman taking a right and holding her hand up to stop him. She opened the door before them, peering in. "Billy?" he heard her say, "your new foster father's here to pick you up." The woman edged into the room, turning to wave Thaddeus forward as she opened the door wide. He stepped into the room, finally seeing the boy face to face. The fourteen year old sat forward in his seat, his shoulders hunching as he wearily eyed the man. "Billy, this is Thaddeus Sivana," she gestured to him, smiling yet again as she gestured back to Billy. "Mr. Sivana, this is Billy."

     "... hey," the boy quietly muttered, flicking an unenthusiastic half wave at him.

     "Hello, Billy," Thaddeus returned the greeting, nodding at him.


	2. First Night

     "Nice car," the boy muttered as he opened the door and sat in the passenger seat. Thaddeus waited until he'd buckled himself in to start the car, flicking the lights on before he began to back out.

     "Thanks," he said, shifting in his seat as awkward silence descended. The boy slouched down in his seat, eyeing the man as they left the agency's small parking lot. What he was looking for, Thaddeus didn't know, and the man focused on driving as the child looked around the car.

     "So..." Billy began, and Thaddeus glanced at him as they took a left turn. "What do you do?"

     "Do?" he asked, and the boy nodded.

     "You know, for a living." He pointedly look around at the car, then at the man's clothing. "Not everyone can afford this kind of stuff," he said. "So, what you do? Are you, like, a stock broker or something?"

     "No," Thaddeus said, shaking his head. "My father runs Sivana Enterprises."

     "Ah," the boy murmured, nodding. "You work for him, then?"

     "Yes," he replied, turning the wheel as they took a left onto the entrance ramp to the highway.

     "You live outside Fawcett City?" the boy asked as the car merged into traffic, and Thaddeus shook his head.

     "My apartment is on the other side of the city," he replied.

     "Oh," Billy quietly said, shifting to sit back in his seat. He lapsed back into silence, toying with the sleeves of his jacket as Thaddeus glanced at him again. Uncertain of what to say, the man refocused on driving as he flipped his brights on. They drove the rest of the way in utter silence.

 

     The boy sat up as he pulled into the parking complex, looking about in mild interest as he brought the car to a stop. Thaddeus unbuckled himself as he turned the lights off, locking the car once Billy had gotten out.

     "This way," he told the boy, and they made their way back out of the streets below. Billy stared up at the towering apartments, following after him a step behind as the man turned left and walked up the entrance stairs to his apartment. He opened the door and held it for the boy, who eyed their surroundings as Thaddeus retook the lead. The man swiped his key card at the second entrance, letting the child in before he turned to the elevator. "We're on the fourth floor," he told the boy, clasping his hands behind his back as they waited for the elevator. It arrived a moment later, and the two stepped through. Thaddeus hit the fourth floor button, standing to the side as the elevator closed and began to rise. It ticked past the first three floors, slowing when it reached theirs. Billy stepped out first when the door opened, Thaddeus following after him. "It's room 52," he said, and the boy looked at the room numbers as they walked. 49. 50. 51. 52. The doctor swiped his card again, opening the door when the lock undid itself with a click. He let Billy enter first, shutting the door and relocking it behind him as the child looked around his new temporary home. "Are you hungry?" Thaddeus asked, and Billy lowered his gaze as he thought about it.

     "I'm good," he quietly replied, shaking his head.

     "Your room is this way," the doctor told him as he stepped around the boy, heading down the small hallway. He gestured at the room to the left, Billy looking around as he stepped inside. It was a simple room- Thaddeus hadn't bothered with trying to decorate for him. "My room is to your right if you ever need me, and the bathroom is back down the hall to the left."

     "Ok," Billy said, unslinging his backpack and tossing it onto his bed. The man hesitated, uncertain of what else he could say.

     "You have school tomorrow," he finally remembered, "I don't think we have any bus routes near here, but I can drive you there before I go to work." The boy silently nodded at that, and Thaddeus retreated, leaving the boy's room to enter his own. He shut the door firmly behind himself, glancing at his research table. The man then looked at his watch, considering the time, and decided against staying up to continue his studies. He changed out of his clothes, tossing them into his basket before he slipped into his pajamas and flicked his lights off. The man took his phone out and set his alarm, placing it beside his pillow as he crawled into bed.


	3. Drop Off

     Thaddeus flicked his alarm off, pushing his sheets back as he sat up. He squinted down at the dim light of his phone, dismissing the reminder he'd set for the boy's school. The man swung his legs off the side of the bed, standing. He tossed his phone back onto the sheets, going over to turn on the light to his room as he eyed the set of clothes he'd laid out. Nothing exceptionally fancy- a long sleeved shirt, his favorite vest, and a simple pair of slacks. The man stripped down, folding his pajamas and placing them on his bed before he changed into his outfit. Thaddeus looked at himself in the mirror, pausing to do up the last button on his top before he stepped out into the hallway. Faint snores came from the room to his right, abruptly cutting off when he knocked on the door.

     "We head out in thirty, Billy," he called in to the boy, pressing his ear to the door to listen. He only moved away when he heard faint rustling from within, heading back towards his own room to grab his wallet. He wouldn't have time for his usual breakfast, it'd be faster to just buy something from the breakroom vending machine than going through a drive through. The man pocketed it, turning back towards the hallway when he heard Billy's door open. The boy stepped out, glancing down the hall and pausing when he caught sight of Thaddeus. He eyed Billy's clothing, realizing that he was wearing the same outfit he'd worn yesterday. Were they the only clothes he'd brought with him? Thaddeus frowned at the thought, he'd have to fix that. They could do it later today, after the boy had gotten his list of required school supplies.

     "I have cereal, or ham if you'd like some," he told him. The boy thought about it, then shook his head.

     "I'll be fine, we should just go," he said, shouldering his backpack as Thaddeus made his way back down to the door. He opened it, letting Billy through first, before he relocked it and firmly shut it behind them.

     "We'll run by Walmart when you get out of school," the man explained as they made their way to the elevator, "you can pick up what you'll want to eat there." Billy nodded in understanding, his thin fingers toying with the straps of his backpack as they stepped into the elevator. Feeling uncomfortable, Thaddeus pressed the ground floor button, glancing in the boy's direction as the child leaned against the wall. He closed his eyes, taking a breath and quietly letting it out before he reopened his eyes. The only saving grace to this strange experiment his father had forced him into was that the child wouldn't be a problem for very long. He'd read about the boy when he'd been presented with a cluster of foster children's profiles, and his background had been the reason Thaddeus had picked the boy. Billy had run away from numerous foster homes, and the man had no doubt he'd also run from his. A few weeks of uncomfortable cohabitation, and then the boy would disappear into the night and Thaddeus would be free to rub the failure in his father's face. He smiled at the thought. A family first company? Sivana Enterprises would have their hands full with the scandal.

     The elevator door slid open, the two of them stepping out into the main hall. Thaddeus retook the lead, holding the exit door open for Billy before they made their way out onto the sidewalk. The walk to the parking complex was a quick one, and Thaddeus fished his keys out as they reached his car. He unlocked it, slipping into his seat as the boy took his backpack off and held it on his lap as he sat down. Once the boy was done positioning himself, Thaddeus started the car up, heading for the exit. The ride to Billy's school was a quiet one, the boy eyeing the homes and buildings they passed. Thaddeus pulled into the school's parking lot, driving past rows of parked cars until he finally found an empty spot. He parked the car, turning to look at the boy he undid his seatbelt.

     "Have a good day," he offered, and Billy gave a small nod as he exited the car. The man watched as he started out towards the school, then shifted the car into reverse. Pulling out, Thaddeus made his way back to the entrance and began the drive to work.


	4. New Best Friend(s) - Billy

     "Hi!" The cheerful hello made Billy startle in his seat, and the boy looked up to watch as a little girl and a boy about his age claimed the empty seats next to him. "I'm Darla," the girl introduced herself, "and this is my brother, Freddy!"

     "Um..." he looked between the two of them, "hey. I'm Billy."

     "You know," the other boy said as he cut into his chicken strip, "I'd say run while you still can, but it's already too late." Billy blinked at him, slight shaking his head.

     "I- I'm sorry, what?"

     "Darla," Freddy said, nodding at his sister as the little girl chowed down on her mashed potatoes. "She's decided that you're her new best friend." He paused, taking a bite of his chicken as Billy stared at him. "And once she decides something, it happens."

     "You looked lonely all by yourself," Darla told him, "so I thought Freddy and I could sit with you!"

     "... thanks?" Billy questioningly told her, and the little girl lit up.

     "Freddy says it's your first day here," she continued, "and I know that's intimidating, but think of it like this- everyone you've meet here isn't a stranger, they're just friends you haven't made yet!" Freddy groaned, running a hand over his face.

     "We should've never let you watch that Barbie movie," he muttered, leaning forward in his seat to look at Billy as she started in on her grilled cheese sandwich. "So, invisibility or flight?"

     "What?" Billy asked. He looked between the siblings- he hadn't even done anything, how had this happened to him?

     "You know, superpowers," the other boy said. "Which would you want to have? Everyone picks flight, right, because superheroes fly! There was this study done a while ago where people were asked this, and most of them said flight." He pushed his tray of food aside, scooting forward in his seat as he continued, "but the thing is, when they got the chance to answer anonymously, most people said invisibility."

     "Duh," Darla said, rolling her eyes, "who wouldn't wanna be like Violet?"

     "Uh, no, Darla," Freddy began to correct her. "That's not why they picked it, they'd obviously want to use their powers for doing..." he paused, suddenly awkward, "bad things."

     "What, like stealing stuff from Walmart?" she asked.

     " _Yes_ ," the boy latched onto her idea with blatant relief. "Stuff like that!"

     "Well, I'd want invisibility," Darla insisted, turning to face her brother as she pushed aside her own tray. "And then mom could be like Mrs. Incredible, and Dad could be like Mr. Incredible, and... I don't know... the rest of you could be like the other superheroes in that movie." Freddy paused as he thought about it, then snorted.

     "Eugene would be Edna," he told her, and she giggled.

     "He would!" Billy slowly sat back as the two descended into comparisons, eyeing the door of the cafeteria. Could he make it in time if he got up now? Maybe? He looked back at the siblings, biting his lip as he thought. What would he do then, just walk around the halls till lunch was over? That sounded boring. All right then, he decided as he slowly started in on his potatoes, maybe he'd stay. Just for now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like writing Sivana's POV, so IDK how many "chapters" we'll get from Billy's.  
> I also like to think that because they're not his family in this story, Billy doesn't have such a strong desire to push Freddy/the other kids away.


	5. Walmart

     Thaddeus parked the car, watching as gaggles of children noisily rushed past. Thank goodness his father hadn't insisted that he foster more than one child- he wasn't sure how he would have handled that kind of chaos. The man shook his head, then paused as a flash of red caught his eye. Ah, there Billy was. He was mildly surprised to see two other children with the boy, another boy with a pair of crutches and a little girl who walked at his side. The girl waved at Billy as he made his way to Thaddeus's car, a wave the boy returned as he opened the door. Getting inside, the boy buckled himself in as the two children turned and made their way back towards the school.

     "New friends?" Thaddeus asked, and Billy looked at him. He nodded out towards the retreating kids.

     "Oh, them?" The boy looked out, pausing. "I'm... not sure," he finally said, avoiding Thaddeus's gaze as the man started the car.

     "Do you still want to go to Walmart?" he asked. "I could take you back to the apartment if you-"

     "No, no," Billy hurriedly said, shaking his head. "I'm still good with going." Thaddeus nodded, switching the car into drive as he carefully began to weave his way through the clusters of children.

 

     The two stood side by side, the man eyeing the massive store before them when Billy spoke up.

     "Hey, um, Mr. Sivana?" Thaddeus paused, looking at the boy. "Do you mind if I go check something out in the movie section?" He wanted to say no, but found himself nodding at the boy's quickly shrinking back. Damn it, the man thought to himself as he watched the boy disappear, why had he done that? He didn't know what children ate! Cursing himself, Thaddeus turned his cart towards the food section of the store and wandered down the first cold food aisle. He eyed the microwavable pizzas and packets of burritos, tapping his fingers on the cart as he considered his options. Billy was almost a teenager, and teenagers liked pizzas. That felt like a safe enough bet. He started to open the door, then paused. Did Billy like vegetables? If he got one with meat, would the boy want sausage or pepperoni? Or both? Thaddeus shook his head, pulling a cheese pizza box down and setting it in the cart. That'd have to do. He was overthinking this, the man told himself as he wheeled his cart down the aisle. Today was Tuesday, the boy had three more days of school- all Thaddeus had to do was get him options for breakfast and dinner, and maybe a few snacks. They could go shopping again after that, and he'd have the boy pick what he wanted. Nodding to himself, the man turned the corner and started towards the cereal aisle. He maneuvered around an arguing father and daughter, glancing back as the girl made large gesturing motions with her hands. Billy would never get to embarrass him like that in public, he decided as he walked onward, turning right and parking his cart as he looked down the expanse of brightly colored cereal boxes. What to get, what to get. A small family of three stood halfway down the aisle, a couple with a younger child. Their cart was full, and an idea hit Thaddeus as he began to walk toward them. He paused next to the woman's cart, pretending to eye the boxes in front of him as he glanced down at what they had. Some kind of fruit snacks, a tub of crackers, a-

     "Oh, I'm sorry!" Thaddeus looked up, watching as the man made to pull the cart away. "Here, let me just move our stuff out of your way."

     "No, it's fine," he hurriedly insisted, "I'm just looking around."

     "All right," the man said, shrugging as he pushed their cart back into its original position. "Well, if you need anything behind us, just say."

     "Will do," Thaddeus assured him, reaching out to blindly grab a random box of cereal as he started back towards his own cart. Forget this, he'd grab a few things and the boy would eat whatever he liked from that. Tossing the box into his cart, he left the aisle and started down the next one.

 

     Several minutes later, he decided that he was done. His cart had a decent collection of random food, surely Billy would find something he liked. Turning the cart, Thaddeus made his way to the back of the store, keeping an eye out for the boy's red hoodie as he walked through the electronics department. There.

     "Billy," he called to him, and the boy turned at the sound of his voice. He held a movie case in his hands, looking a touch nervous as Thaddeus approached.

     "Do you mind if I get this?" Billy asked, holding the movie up. "I've never actually seen the sequel."

     "May I see it?" he asked, holding his hand out. The boy reluctantly handed it over, his gaze dropping in embarrassment as Thaddeus looked it over. It was a two in one dvd- The Incredibles and the Incredibles 2. He glanced over the cover, eyeing the strangely proportioned red suited family on it. An odd movie choice for a fourteen year old, the man thought to himself as he turned the case over to check the ratings. Good, nothing that'd get him looks from the cashier. He gave it back to the boy, who slowly took it with an oddly confused expression on his face. "What?" he asked.

     "Did you just... check the ratings?" Billy slowly asked. Thaddeus nodded, and the boy looked from him, to the movie, then back to him. "Have you ever seen the Incredibles?"

     "No," Thaddeus replied, his eyebrows dipping in confusion at the disbelieving look that got him.

     "You've _never_ seen the Incredibles?"

     "No," he repeated, shaking his head.

     "But... but everyone's seen the first movie!" Thaddeus frowned, unsure of how to respond to the boy's strange reactions. "We're getting this," Billy insisted, "we can watch the first one tonight and the sequel tomorrow. I mean, you have to see them at least once before I-" He froze, staring wide eyed at the older man. The boy looked away from him, clearing his throat as he struggled to find a way to rephrase his words. "You have to see it," he finally said, dropping the movie into the cart.

     "All right, then," Thaddeus said, amused by how the boy avoided meeting his gaze. "Are you ready to head out?"

     "Yeah," Billy muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets as he slouched. "I'm good." The two made their way to the check out line, the boy staying quiet as Thaddeus began to empty the cart.


	6. Movie Night

     As the ending theme song played, the credits beginning to roll, Thaddeus sat up from his spot on the couch and fumbled about in the dark for the remote. His hand finally brushed against it, and he fished it out from under the blankets as he reached for his phone. Pausing the movie, the man used the dim light from his screen to make his way to the far side of the room. He flicked the light on, catching Billy mid yawn. The boy rubbed at his eyes, pausing to stretch before he looked at Thaddeus.

     "So, what'd you think?" he asked, and Thaddeus ejected the disc from the TV as he thought about it. It hadn't been a bad little movie. It certainty wasn't what he was used to watching, but it had been entertaining enough to keep his attention throughout.

     "It was ok," he told the boy, who rolled his eyes.

     "Come on, I'm not gonna judge you for liking it," he said.

     "I think Syndrome should have won," Thaddeus said, pushing the movie back into its case before he placed it beside the TV.

     "Yeah," Billy agreed, "he did have some pretty cool tech. You still up for watching the sequel tomorrow?" he asked, and Thaddeus nodded. "Good," Billy said, pushing himself up from the couch and pulling the blanket along with him as he stood. "I-" he paused, quietly snickering to himself. "I think it's gonna be totally wicked." The man smiled at that, watching as Billy threw the blanket over his shoulder and headed down the hallway. "'Night, Mr. Sivana," the boy called back to him.

     "Goodnight, Billy," he returned the sentiment. Thaddeus put the remote back in its place, rubbing at his neck as he made his way back towards his own room. He paused outside Billy's, moving on when the light that showed beneath the door switched off. He shut his door behind himself, glancing at his work table. No, he decided, the research could wait. The movie had been longer than he'd expected, and if Doctor Crosby's newest subject came through, he'd have another testimony to study tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is so short, but I'm hoping you guys will be ok with that because the story's going to hopefully start picking up in the next chapter.


	7. Cool Names

     Thaddeus flicked his alarm off, slowly rolling over. He rubbed at his eyes, heaving a sigh as he rolled out of his bed. He wasn't used to waking up this early, it was a good thing he'd only have to do it for a few more weeks. The man tossed his phone back onto the bed, making his way out of his room and heading down the hallway. He paused to knock on Billy's door, moving on when he heard a groan from within.

     "School's in thirty," he called out, making his way to the bathroom. He shut the door and locked it behind himself, pulling off his pajamas and tossing them into a pile as he turned the shower on. The man held his hand out, waiting for the water to warm, then stepped inside. He stood under the warm spray for a moment, appreciating the feeling of it, before he froze. The boy's clothes. _He'd forgotten_. Thaddeus quickly slathered himself down with soap, hurridely washing it off and stepping out of the shower to reach for his towel. He dried himself off, tying the towel around his waist before he opened the door and made his way back down to his room. The man opened his closet, pausing to consider his options, then tossed his clothing onto his bed. After a quick change, he did up the last of the buttons of his long sleeved shirt, pausing to straighten his vest before he pocketed his phone. "Billy?" he looked into the boy's room, frowning when he found it empty.

     "In here," Billy called out, and Thaddeus walked down the hall and looked around the living room. "Here," the boy said again, and he turned. Billy sat at the far side of the small kitchen table, a bowl of cereal before him. "You don't mind if I eat before we go, do you?"

     "Of course not," Thaddeus assured the boy, moving around the table to pick out his own bowl. He opened the top cabinet door, pulling down a box of Cheerios. He unclipped the top, filling the bowl before he reclipped the box and put it away. Snagging a spoon out from the cluster of dried dishes, Thaddeus sat down at the other end of the table. Billy watched him, an eyebrow slowly going up as Thaddeus began to eat.

     "You don't eat that with milk?" he asked, and the man shook his head. "Huh," he murmured, looking back down at his own bowl as he went back to eating. Thaddeus shifted in his seat, now feeling acutely aware of every crunching bite he took as he ate. "So," Billy started, breaking the awkward silence that had descended between them, "what _do_ you do at your dad's company?" he asked, and Thaddeus hesitated. Did he really want the boy to know? Surely it couldn't hurt to tell him, he decided.

     "I research supernatural phenomena," he replied, and Billy's spoon froze halfway to his mouth.

     "Supernatural... phenomena..." Billy slowly repeated, and Thaddeus's hand clenched around his spoon as he lowered his gaze. He should have known. Of course the boy would- "That's _awesome_!" What. Thaddeus looked back up at Billy, taken aback by his sudden enthusiasm. "What're you guys trying to do, find the next Superman?"

     "I..." The man trailed off, staring at the boy. He wasn't sure what to do. He'd never had anyone seriously take him up on the idea after they learned about it.

     "Oh, I get it," Billy said, nodding. "You can't say anything, right?" The boy set his spoon down beside his bowl, lifting his hands to make air quotations. ""National security" and all that."

     "What?" Thaddeus asked, shaking his head in confusion.

     "You know, the military," the boy said, as if it were the most obvious thing ever, "they must be paying you guys insane amounts of money. Oh!" Thaddeus startled slightly as Billy slapped his hands against the table, the boy looking him in the eye as he spoke. "Promise me one thing, ok?" The man silently nodded. "When you find the next superhero, could you _please_ give them a more creative name?"

     "A more creative name," Thaddeus slowly repeated, and Billy nodded.

     "We've got Batman, Aquaman, Superman, and Wonder Woman- the Flash and Cyborg are the only 'not man' names we have. I mean, come on!" He rolled his eyes, giving Thaddeus an exasperated look, "would it kill you guys to pick something cool and _not_ slap '-man' on the end?"

     "Ok," he agreed, feeling strangely uncertain as Billy flashed him a grin and stood from the table, the boy turning to place his bowl in the sink. Thaddeus had never had anyone take his research at face value before. This... he wasn't sure how he _felt_ about this...

     "So, you coming?" Thaddeus looked up at the question, Billy hesitating near the table. "School?" Oh, oh right. School. The man slowly stood from his seat, moving to place his bowl beside Billy's as he turned and watched the boy head down the hallway. He'd believed him, Thaddeus thought, dumbstruck by the very idea. Billy had _believed_ him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest, some of the reactions the people in SHAZAM! had to magic kind of confused me. Like, you live in a world where Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, the Flash, and Steppenwolf/Mother Boxes exist. Researching that kind of stuff makes all kinds of sense! I can buy everyone being skeptical before those people became well known, but after? The adults might just be in fear based denial, but I'd like to think that the younger generations would be more open to the possibility.
> 
> Also, I hope the 'not man' name talk Billy had didn't come off as sexist, I just think it's funny that 4/6ths of the current Justice Leaguers have the same last part to their superhero names.
> 
> Also, also- I promise the next chapter will finally get the plot ball rolling!


	8. Breakthrough

     "Doctor Sivana," Dr. Crosby greeted him, the woman turning sharply on her heel to walk at his side.

     "Doctor Crosby," he said, nodding to her. "How's your newest subject coming along? Have you managed to set up an interview?"

     "Of course," the woman replied, holding out her clipboard of compiled notes. He took it, skimming through the precisely organized data. Several photos of the subject, a petite woman with dark hair, stared up at him. He brushed them to the left, glancing over the reports Dr. Crosby had taken. "You got here just in time," she told him, pulling back her sleeve to check her watch. "The interview should be in... ten minutes."

     " _Ten_ minutes?" He looked at her, frowning. "Why wasn't I informed sooner?"

     "I know you care about this project a great deal," Dr. Crosby told him, "and she's promised us a breakthrough in our research, something that could help us show our other subjects that-"

     "Mr. Sivana?" Thaddeus turned, looking back as some lowly pencil pusher hurried after them. A tall, nervous man, he gave them both slightly strained smiles when he reached them. "Your father wanted to speak with you." Thaddeus eyed him for a moment, looking back to Doctor Crosby.

     "What kind of a breakthrough?" he asked her.

     "She claims she has video proof of her "abduction"." Thaddeus stared at her.

     " _Video_?" he repeated, and the thin woman nodded. That couldn't be right- the phones of every other subject they'd spoken to had shorted out right before their abductions.

     "Honestly, I'm not expecting it to be anything exciting," the woman admitted, "it'll probably be just a few minutes of her screaming at nothing." She looked past him, eyeing the other man. "But... I could reschedule the meeting, if you'd-"

     _"No_ ," he told her, and she took a small step back at the force in his tone. He turned back to the pencil pusher. "Tell my father I'll see him when we're finished." The tall man paled at that, nervously swallowing.

     "Um, sir, he was very insistent that you-"

     "You have your message," Thaddeus said, flicking his hand at the man. "Go."

     "Yes, sir," the man whispered, nodding as he backed away. "Thank you, sir." The pencil pusher hunched his shoulders, scurrying away from them as Thaddeus rolled his eyes.

     "Lead the way," he said, turning back to the researcher. She nodded, schooling her uncertain expression into careful blankness as she walked. He frowned at her, clasping his hands behind his back as he followed after the woman.


	9. Repeating

     Stupid! Stupid _stupid_ **_stupid_**! Thaddeus wanted to scream at himself, wanted to hit himself and stomp his feet and yell. The woman's video- it had all been so _obvious_. And he had _missed it_! Clenching and unclenching his hands, the man made his way down the hallway as he cursed himself. Moron! Idiot! Fool! He let out a hissing breath, slamming the door to his office shut as his lips peeled back in a snarl. All those years wasted- he'd always had the right sequence of symbols, just not the right number of times! The seven sins. Seven repeating lines of symbols. He leaned back against the door, sucking a hard breath in as he ran a shaking hand over his face. No, no, now wasn't the right time to be angry. If what he'd seen was right...

     The man looked up, eyeing the door that stood on the far side of the room. Seven sins. Seven lines. It almost hurt to hope, he'd gotten so _used_ to disappointment. He took another breath, slowly unclenching his fists as he strode to his desk and plucked up his chalk. His stomach twisted, clenching as he turned and eyed the door. Nervously licking his lips, Thaddeus slowly made his way to the door. The symbols were easy to write, the second line was done in the blink of an eye. The third line. The fourth. The fifth. The sixth. He stopped, his fingers twitching around the chalk as he eyed the door. If this worked, if it _worked_... Thaddeus finished the final seventh line, setting the chalk aside as he stepped back and examined the door. Nothing special had happened. No flash of light, no gust of wind, no sudden cold. His hope delicately balanced on a thread, the all too familiar pain of disappointment hungrily waiting below. Taking a breath, Thaddeus reached for the door-

     And hissed in surprise as a thin line of electricity arched off the doorknob and shocked him. The man stumbled back, shaking out his hand, and froze. That. That had never happened before. He looked back up to the door, feeling hope swell in his chest as he again reached for the doorknob with shaking fingers. As his hand wrapped around it, the door shook and shuddered, the symbols gleaming red as sudden heat wafted from the sides of the door. Thaddeus took a shuddering breath; turned the knob. A gust of wind ruffled his trench coat, and the man stared into the darkened stone hall that stretched out before him. His mouth went dry, hope morphing into an almost unbearable joy as he sagged against the side of the door. Finally! _Finally_! He looked down to the floor, slowly stepping across the threshold, and his feet hit solid stone. _Real_. It was real! He'd _finally_ done it! Thaddeus fought down the ridiculous urge to giggle, he had to stay focused- he'd finally found his way back to the wizard's realm, but that was only the first step. His real goal was deeper within. Tucking his clothing tighter around him in the face of the chill, Thaddeus set off down the dark hallway. He would find the wizard, the Sins, and the power that he'd been denied. After all these years, it would be _his_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Doctor Crosby's death horrified me- she died in such a terrible way and Thaddeus was so utterly nonchalant about it, so she gets to live here.


	10. The Wizard

     The statues, the orb. They were just like he remembered. And beyond them, surrounded by empty thrones, sat the wizard. Thaddeus stepped into the massive hallway, watching as the ancient man slowly stood. The wizard shuffled down the stone steps, his head cocking as he squinted at the man.

     "What are you doing here?" he asked. Thaddeus searched his face for any hint of recognition, and found none.

     "You don't remember me, do you," the younger man said, feeling oddly cheated at the realization.

     "... Thaddeus," the wizard slowly murmured, his pale eyes fixing on Thaddeus's face. "Thaddeus Sivana." He shook his head, his wrinkled face darkening. "How did you get here?" he demanded, his hand tightening on the staff he held. Before Thaddeus could reply, however, a rasping voice came from his left.

     "You've grown weak, Guardian," it accused the wizard, and Thaddeus felt the hair on the back of his neck stand straight. "You can no longer contain us." The older man glared at the statues, leveling his staff at them, and he saw his chance. He ran to the stone podium, reaching for the gleaming orb within. As it had so many years ago, the golden webbing surrounding it opened for him, and he grasped the orb and pulled it free.

     " _No_!" The wizard's voice made Thaddeus whirl to face him, and the man ducked behind the podium as a bolt of lightening scorched the earth where he'd stood seconds earlier. Thaddeus sucked a breath in, clutching the orb close, when he heard the sound of stone splintering. He looked up, staring as the statues cracked and groaned. "No," he heard the wizard whisper, "no!" The floor beneath them shook then, and Thaddeus curled in on himself as splinters of rock showered down from the shuddering statues. He watched, halfway disbelieving, as stone gave way to dark flesh and blood. Seven creatures, tall and misshapen, shook themselves free themselves from their rocky prisons.

     "You never found your Champion, Wizard, but we found ours," the deep voice declared, and the creatures suddenly morphed, turning to an almost cloudlike substance as they swirled around Thaddeus and the orb. "Together we will be unstoppable. All that you desire will be yours," the voice promised him, and he squinted as a near blinding light emanated from the orb as the creatures entered it. It shrunk in his hands, lifting from them to hover in the air before him. What, what was-? The orb shot forward, laying him out flat as he screamed in agony. Back arching, the man clawed at his face as pain radiated from his eye. He twisted, tears running down his cheeks as the horrific pain suddenly dulled. It disappeared completely then, leaving him panting on the floor as he heard the rustle of clothing. He had to get up, Thaddeus knew, he had to move! Groaning, the man slowly pushed himself up.

     "What have you done?" the wizard quietly asked, watching as he stood. "You've-" he shook his head, his bright eyes narrowing. "You must never leave this place," he said, swinging his staff around to point it at Thaddeus. The man flinched back as lightning shot out from the tip, futily raising his hands- and felt no pain. He slowly opened his eyes, staring as the wizard's power harmlessly beat against his palms.

_ Strike out_, a deep voice emanated from inside him, and he startled in recognition. The demon? _His power is weaker than yours_, it whispered, _use_ _the_ _gifts_ _we've_ _given_ _you_! Focusing on the crackling lightening in his palms, Thaddeus looked back up to the wizard. He could do this, the man told himself, it was his destiny! And the wizard, the root of all his past problems, would never stand in his way again! He pushed his hands out, feeling power race down his arms and shoot out from his fingertips. Lightening of his own shot forward, throwing the wizard back as it electrocuted him. The older man screamed, his body twitching and shuddering as Thaddeus slowly lowered his hands. He'd, he'd done it, the man realized. He, he'd _finally done it_! Joy like he'd never felt it before warmed his chest, and the man grinned as he finally let himself laugh. Years of searching. Years of being disbelieved. The power was finally his! _You must return to your office, Champion,_ the voice from within told him, and Thaddeus paused as he looked about the cave. The door he'd used to get here had vanished as soon as he'd closed it, how would he-? _See it in your mind's eye, will yourself there. _He could do that? Thaddeus closed his eyes, and after a moment of uncertainty, pictured his office. He could imagine his old desk; the many bookshelves he had. The man felt a strange pressure push in against him, then vanish. _Open_ _your_ _eyes_ _._ Thaddeus did as he'd been told, and startled as he found himself standing in his office. The voice, it hadn't lied, then! He looked down at his hands, watching as miniature arcs of lightening danced along his fingertips. A knock at his door made the man look up, and he frowned.

     "What is it?" he called out.

     "Mr. Sivana?" a vaguely familiar voice replied, "are you... are you free now?"

     "For what?" he asked, starting towards the door. He pulled it open, looking up at the tall pencil pusher who'd approached him earlier. The other man nervously wrung his hands together, giving a tight smile.

     "Your father wanted to see you," he said, and Thaddeus's face darkened. Of course. Of course the bastard would find some way to ruin the greatest day of his life.

     " _I_ -" he began, then stopped, considering it. He'd never had proof of what had happened all those years ago, and his father had enjoyed ridiculing him for his 'delusions'. Now, though? Now he could _show_ the man his power. "Yes," he slowly said, and the pencil pusher sagged in relief. "I'm free to see him now."


	11. Words

     "I'm so glad that you've finally found the time to join us." Thaddeus closed his eyes at the sound of his father's voice, plastering on a smile as he turned from the door to face him.

     "Father," he greeted the man, his smile nearly slipping when he saw his brother standing beside the man. "Sid. What did you wish to speak about?" he asked, clasping his hands behind his back as he made his way forward to stand before his father's desk.

     "It's about... the boy." His father paused, rubbing at his chin as he thought. "What was his name..." the man murmured.

     "Billy," Thaddeus supplied, and his father nodded.

     "Yes, Billy. The company will be having a board meeting this coming Friday- you'll introduce them to him." Thaddeus eyed the man, considering his words.

     "No," he said.

     "... no," his father slowly repeated, cocking an unamused eyebrow at him as he sat forward in his wheelchair. "And why would that be?"

     "He has school," Thaddeus answered, and his brother scoffed at him.

     "Like you really care," he told him, and Thaddeus turned his fixed smile on the man.

     "He just started," the younger man replied, "I don't want him to fall behind in his schoolwork so soon."

     "Principal Schmidt is an understanding man," his father said, settling back in his seat, "that won't be a problem." Thaddeus could easily picture how the meeting would go- he'd be relegated to the side while his family paraded Billy around as if he were some kind of prized chicken.

     "No," he said again, his smile going flat as he crossed his arms. His father sighed, running a hand through his thinning hair.

     "Now is not the time for childish tantrums, Thaddeus," he told him. "The boy will be here on Friday, and he will meet our board members."

      "Perhaps, father, we could give them good news," Sid said, and Thaddeus zeroed in on his light tone of voice. "They'll be expecting a financial report for this quarter," the man continued, looking his brother in the eye. "Perhaps we cut spending on a few of our more... unnecessary programs." Thaddeus let the barely veiled threat hang between them for a few moments, then smiled again. Thirty minutes ago that would have cowed him into submission, but now?

     "Then I have news you'll like, brother," he said. "As of today, Project Grey Stone is closed, I'll be redistributing our researchers throughout the company." His father and brother stared at him, blindsided by the news.

     "I-" his father paused, clearing his throat. "You've finally moved past your childish delusions, then? Good," he said, nodding, "it was long overdue."

     "You're mistaken, father," Thaddeus replied, "the Project served its purpose- I found the wizard." His father sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

     "Sid?" he muttered, and his brother nodded in understanding. "Go home, Thaddeus. Come back when you're willing to talk sense. Sid will go pick the boy up before the meeting, I expect him to be appropriately dressed." How _dare_ they dismiss him again!

     "You really are father's lapdog," Thaddeus hissed as Sid stepped around their father's desk and started for him. "He tells you to jump, and you don't even ask how high, you just do it."

     "Enough!" His father slammed his hands against his desk, leaning forward to glare at him. "Hold your tongue, Thaddeus!"

     "No! All these years, and neither of you ever believed me!"

     " _They_ _are_ _weak_ ," the gravely voice hissed, " _they_ _stand_ _in_ _your_ _way_."

     "Not any more," Thaddeus told it, looking up to glare at Sid. "Fine! If you won't take my word," he said as the man reached for him, his fingers tightening on Thaddeus's vest, "then I'll _show_ you!" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to have a vote. I've tried several times to write Sid/their father's death scenes, and every version has turned out pretty bad. I'm not even trying to be fake modest- they're *legit* not good. So, I can do one of two things:
> 
> 1\. Tweak/try to fix their deaths, and include them in the next chapter  
> or  
> 2\. Pick up right after he's murdered them


	12. Clouds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're skipping the death scenes- thanks guys :)  
> 

     Thaddeus took a breath, slowly letting it out as he leaned over the edge of the building to look below. He could only barely make out the distant forms of his family's bodies, the people around them rushing about like agitated ants.

     " _You did well, Champion_ ," the voice told him, and he smiled. It was so _freeing_ to be rid of his father and brother, to know that they'd never again belittle him. It made him feel light, heady. The way his father had begged- he'd treasure that memory for years to come. " _This was but a taste of what will come_ ," the demons promised, and he felt their attention shift to the skies above. " _Come, Champion, fly_." He... he could do that? They didn't reply, and he looked up to eye the distant, passing clouds. Thaddeus took another breath, clenching and unclenching his hands as he looked back down. They had yet to lie to him, and they'd already given him everything he could have wished for. Trusting their word, the man slowly stepped forward- and rose. His eyes widened as he drifted upwards, and the man awkwardly twisted around to look back at the ground below. The people had become mere blobs of color massed around where his family lay, and he turned away as he focused on rising higher. A gust of wind ruffled his trench coat, and he grinned as he flew, admiring the world around him. This, the man thought, was amazing. Better than he could have ever imagined! Thaddeus reached out, running his hand through a cloud as it slowly passed by. It came out dripping wet, and the man chuckled to himself as he wiped his hand on his coat. _Amazing_. He closed his eyes, leaning back as he drifted onwards.


	13. Sprint - Billy

     "-and then Elina finds Laverna in her evil lair," the little girl paused, looking up at him to make sure he was following along. Billy dutifully nodded. "And then Laverna tells her that she can give her wings, and she brainwashes Elina into almost putting the necklace on Azura."

     "Uh huh," Billy made a sound of agreement, glancing at Freddy. The other boy was face deep in his phone, he'd be no help.

     "But Azura tells Elina to think of the friends she hasn't met," Darla continued, "and Elina-" Freddy gasped, startling the both of them as he dropped his phone on the table.

     " _Oh_ _fuck_ ," the other boy breathed, looking up to stare wide eyed at Billy.

     "Dad said you shouldn't curse, Freddy," Darla reminded him, frowning as his mouth silently opened and shut. "Freddy?"

     "Billy, the-" he flapped his hands about, struggling for words. "The guy you're living with, what was his name again?"

     "I... don't remember," Billy confessed, rubbing at his neck in embarrassment. "I think it was something with a T? It was really long, and I-"

     "His last name!" Freddy demanded, slapping his hands against the table as he stood from his seat. "What was his last name!?" Billy glanced around the lunch room, his shoulders hunching at the looks they were getting.

     "Could you tone it down a little bit?" he asked, shifting in his seat.

     "His name!" The other boy insisted, leaning forward across the table.

     "Sivana! There," Billy said, sitting back in his seat, "are you happy now?"

     "Oh shit," the boy hissed to himself, leaning back to stare down at his phone. "Oh _shit_."

     "What?" Billy asked, Darla looking between them with concern. "What is it?"

     "It's Sivana Enterprises," Freddy told him, "something happened. They're saying-" He shook his head, shoving his phone across the table to Billy. "Look!" Billy caught it, turning it as he looked down at the screen.

     "What's happening, Billy?" Darla asked, scooting her seat along so that she now sat next to him.

     "'Police are reporting a possible terrorist attack on Sivana Enterprises,'" he read aloud, frowning down at the phone. "'So far there have been only two confirmed casualties- the founder of the company, Maxwell Sivana, and his oldest son, Sid Sivana. The police are attempting to locate the youngest son, Thaddeus Sivana, who they believe...'" He paled, swallowing. "'Who they believe may have been the... the third target of the attack.'" Wide eyed, he looked back up at Freddy. " _What_?"

     "It just popped up," Freddy told him, "I don't know if it's real, or-"

     "I," Billy abruptly stood up from the table, his chair clattering back as he grabbed at his backpack. "I have to go. I- How do I get to that place from here?" he asked Freddy, who held his hand out for his phone.

     "Gimme just a sec," the other boy told him, quickly tapping away at the device. "Have to get onto Google maps," he muttered to himself, "and, and there!" He flipped the phone around for Billy, showing him the screen. "That should get you there! Just take it!" He said, flapping his hands at the boy.

     "But-"

     "Go!" Freddy yelled at him, and Billy whirled toward the exit doors. Shouldering his backpack, holding the phone close, he ran.


	14. Charred

     Thaddeus stood just outside the charred remains of his father's office, his nose wrinkling at the stench of burned flesh.

     "We were having a fight about the upcoming board meeting," he told the officer beside him. "I said... things. Father had Sid throw me out, and I-" He shook his head. "I didn't even think about where I was going, I just walked out." The woman reached out, laying a hand on his shoulder as she sympathetically nodded.

     "That argument saved your life, Mr. Sivana," she told him. He did his best to regretful; saddened.

     "I just wish I could take back the things I said. Apologize, let them know that I didn't really mean it," he quietly said, and she shook her head.

     "They're in a better place now, Mr. Sivana, and they know that you're sorry." Thaddeus heaved a heavy sigh, looking around the ruined room.

     "You still don't have any suspects?" he asked, and the woman's hand dropped from his shoulder as she looked away.

     "No, sir," the officer said. "No one has come forward yet to claim responsibility. I've never seen damage like this before," the brunette confessed, shaking her head as she eyed the blackened furniture. "I thought it was a fire at first, but our boys are saying that's not it. They say it's kind of like someone set off a... a _lightening_ bomb in here." He raised an eyebrow at her, and she shrugged. "I'm sorry, sir, but we have no idea what we're dealing with."

     "It's all right, officer," Thaddeus assured her. "I understand that this will take time."

     "Until we've figured out the who and the what behind this attack, I'd advise having some of our officers stay with you," she said, and he shook his head.

     "Thank you, but I'll be fine."

     "Really, sir, it wouldn't be an inconvenience," she insisted, "we could-" The transceiver on her belt crackled, and she unclipped it.

     "Officer Bradley?" a voice asked, and the woman responded.

     "This is Officer Bradley, what's up?"

     "We, uh, we've got a boy down here in the lobby who says he's Mr. Sivana's kid." The officer froze, looking wide-eyed at Thaddeus as he frowned.

     "Did he say which one?" she awkwardly asked, and the man could practically hear the other officer shrugging over the transceiver.

     "He wouldn't say a first name," came the reply, "just kept insisting that he needed to see Mr. Sivana."

     "It has to be Billy," Thaddeus told the officer, "but he should be in school," he said, shaking his head in confusion.

     "You can go down if you'd like," she offered, "our CSI guys are going to section off this room, anyway- it'll be a while before they let us come back up."

     "Thank you, Officer Bradley," Thaddeus said, and the woman looked back into the room as he turned from her and started towards the elevator. What was Billy doing here? _How_ had he gotten here?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That awkward moment when the police want to protect you from the murderer, but you ARE the murderer.


	15. I Thought

     Thaddeus stepped out from the elevator, joining the flow of employees heading towards the exit. He brushed past a cluster of receptionists, eyeing the groups of men and women as they all entered the main entrance room. No. No. No again. Where was the boy?

     "Mr. Sivana!" He turned at the sound of his name, only barely holding back a frown when Dr. Crosby made her way through the stream of people to him. She reached out with shaking hands, taking his shoulders as if to assure herself that he was real. "You're here, you're ok!"

     "Of course I am," he told her, and she released him, rubbing at her eyes.

     "I- I wasn't sure," the woman said, shaking her head. "Donovan said that your father and Sid," she paused, gulping, "that they'd been... killed. No one knew where you were, and I went back to your office but you weren't there! I thought-" Dr. Crosby drew back, covering her mouth. "I thought you'd been-"

     "Dr. Crosby..." he looked at her shaking shoulders, her red eyes. "Lynn." She blinked at his use of her first name, looking up to meet his gaze. "I'm fine, really," he assured her.

     "-ere is he!?" They both turned at the shout, and Thaddeus breathed a sigh of relief as he caught a glimpse of Billy through the crowd. He wove and pushed his way through the flow of people, finally stumbling out into the small open section before him. Several police officers stood in front of the boy, blocking him from heading further in. "Where's Mr. Sivana? Is he here? Is he ok?" Thaddeus almost didn't recognize him- he'd tied his red jacket tightly around his waist, his hair a sweat drenched black.

     "Billy?" Thaddeus called to him, and the boy spun at the sound of his voice. His eyes going wide, the boy lurched toward him, reaching for the man. Thaddeus froze as small arms locked tight around his waist, Billy burying his face in the man's vest as Thaddeus stared down in surprise at him.

     "You're ok!" came his muffled cry.

     "Of course I'm ok," Thaddeus replied, slightly moving his arms to prompt the boy to step back. He didn't move an inch.

     "I thought you were dead," Billy confessed, "I thought the terrorists had gotten you!"

     "Terror-?" Oh. _Oh_. It all clicked into place then, and Thaddeus wanted to cover his face with his hands. He'd never factored the boy into his revenge, and as Dr. Crosby stumbled through the waves of employees and stared at them in shock, he had to admit to himself that he hadn't factored _anyone_ in. He'd just been so _angry_ -

     "Mr. Sivana?" He met Dr. Crosby's confused gaze. She looked at Billy as if he were a unicorn made of sparkles. "Who...?"

     "Dr. Crosby, this is Billy," he introduced them, the boy finally shifting back a step to look up at her. "He's the boy I'm fostering."

     "Oh," she said, her expression remaining unchanged. "I'd heard that your father.. but I never thought you'd _really_..." She trailed off, suddenly awkward.

     "Go home, Lynn," Thaddeus quietly told her, "rest. We've all been through a lot today." The woman nodded, turning back towards the slowly thinning crowd, before she paused.

     "Dr. Sivana?" He looked back to her. "I'm glad you're ok," she said, and he gave her smile as she disappeared into the flow of people.

     "Me too," Billy quietly said, his gaze dropping as he took another step back. "I'm, I'm glad you're here." Thaddeus looked beyond him, to the cops who watched the two of them. He gestured to the boy.

      "Do you mind if we...?" The officer to his left nodded.

     "Go ahead," the man said, "we'll contact you after we're finished here."

     "Thank you," Thaddeus said, looking down to smile at the boy. "How about we go home," he offered, and Billy nodded, his gaze still fixed on the ground. As Thaddeus turned towards the mass of workers, however, he felt fingers hesitantly brush against the back of his hand. He looked down, slowly opening his hand, and the boy took it. Billy's grip went tight as a receptionist jostled past the man, and Thaddeus put his arm out to clear them a way as they made for the door. A gust of air made the boy shiver as they stepped outside, and Thaddeus couldn't help but stare at him as he steered them towards the parking lot. The boy's school wasn't exactly close to Sivana Enterprises, and his clothes were drenched through with sweat. He'd ran, Thaddeus realized. Maybe caught a subway along the way, but the man had no doubts that he'd ran most of the way. As they walked together, the boy's hand still tightly holding onto his, Thaddeus felt... something.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll be honest- I'm not completely happy with this chapter. I might do a bit of touching up later on.


	16. Clothes

     Billy uncertainly eyed the passing streets around them, frowning when he looked at Thaddeus.

     "I thought you said we were going home," he reminded the man, who nodded.

     "We will," Thaddeus assured him, "but we need to get you some more clothes first. I'll need to wash yours, and I don't have anything else for you to wear."

     "But... what about you?" the boy asked, and Thaddeus raised an eyebrow at him. "The-" he paused, leaning in as he lowered his voice, "the terrorists are still out there. Won't you be safer back at the apartment?" Oh yes, the terrorists. He kept forgetting about that particular part of the cover story. It was difficult to remember to be worried about, well, _himself_.

     "I doubt they'd think to look for me at a Walmart," Thaddeus said, and Billy's frown deepened. "We won't be there long," the man promised, "just grab some clothes that you like, and we'll head home right after."

     "Ok," the boy finally agreed, leaning back in his seat as he wearily eyed the cars passing them by. Thaddeus turned his attention back to the road, flicking his left blinker on and merging into the thick line of traffic.

 

     A blue basket in one hand and Thaddeus's own hand in his other, the boy started down the first aisle of clothing. Looking down at their clasped hands, Thaddeus wondered if this was going to be a thing now. He didn't really think so. The agency worker had told him of how Billy had lost his mother- this was clearly some sort of stress based habit that had been triggered by the thought of losing Thaddeus as well. He was sure that after a few days of nothing else happening, the boy would eventually drop it. Billy paused in front of a cluster of long sleeved shirts, picking out several different colors and tossing them into the basket before moving on.

     "You don't want to try them on?" Thaddeus asked, and Billy shook his head.

     "I always get mediums, they usually work ok," he explained, reaching out to touch a pair of jeans. After a moment of consideration, Billy pulled two of them out and added them as well, turning to look down the next aisle.

     "Do you think you'll want a coat?" the man asked, and the boy thought about it, then shook his head.

     "I'll be fine," he said. "It isn't supposed to snow for another week, I can just pick one up then." Thaddeus shrugged to himself, letting the boy lead him around the end cap. A high pitched jangling sound coming from the boy's jeans made them both freeze, and the man frowned as Billy quietly cursed and pulled a phone out from his back pocket. Where had he gotten that?

     "Billy," he began, "who's phone-?" The boy clicked the answer button, putting the phone to his ear as he turned his back on Thaddeus.

     "Hello?" A pause. "Yeah, this is Billy," he said, nodding. "I got to his job, and he," the boy paused, swallowing, "he's fine. He's with me now."

     "Billy," Thaddeus said repeated, his tone finally making the boy look back at him. "Who is that?"

     "He, uh, he wants to talk to you. Is that ok?" Billy asked, then held the phone out towards the man. "It's Freddy's phone," he explained, "he gave it to me to find your workplace." The boy's friend from school? Thaddeus took the phone, raising it to his ear.

     "Hello?" he asked.

     "Hey, Mr. Sivana," a boy's voice answered. "Oh, I'm Freddy, by the way."

     "I'm sorry Billy still has your phone, Freddy," Thaddeus apologized.

     "Oh no, no," the boy said, "I don't care about the phone- I'm just happy that you're ok!" He was? "Darla got so upset after Billy left, it's gonna make her day that you're fine!" Darla. She was the little girl, then? "But yeah, man, don't worry about the phone. I've got Eugene's backup, I can just get mine back tomorrow." There was a pause, then the boy spoke again. "Well, uh, bye, Mr. Sivana!"

     "But-" The boy hung up on him, and Thaddeus frowned down at the phone. He held it out to Billy, who cautiously took it back.

     "You're not mad, are you?" the boy asked, and Thaddeus sighed, shaking his head.

     "If he gave it to you, it's fine," he decided, and Billy relaxed. "I expect you to give it back to him tomorrow, though," he said, and Billy nodded.

     "Yeah, I will," the boy reassured him, pocketing the phone. He eyed his basket of clothing. "I think I'm good."

     "You're sure?" Thaddeus asked, and the boy nodded again. They made their way back to the check out lines, the man fishing out his wallet as Billy emptied his things out onto the counter. Thaddeus counted out his money once the cashier had scanned and bagged the clothing, dropping the change he received into his wallet as Billy took the bags. Together, they made their way out of the store and back to his car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story was originally going to basically follow most of the movie, but a light bulb went off a while ago and I've decided to change the upcoming plot because of it. Billy is still going to become Shazam, but most of everything directly after that will be different from the movie. I'll probably do the original story line after I'm done with this one (because I still want to write that one too) so if you don't like where this one goes you can eventually read that one instead.


	17. Home Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another super short chapter, sorry about that! The next one will be longer, I promise!

     "Do you still feel like watching the movie?" Thaddeus asked as he shrugged his trench coat off, hanging it on the coat rack as he passed by.

     "If you want to," Billy said as he came in behind him, shifting his bags to one arm as he looked down the hallway.

     "The washing machine's that way, just past the bathroom," Thaddeus reminded him, and the boy headed off. The man made for the living room, rolling his sleeves up as he walked. Plucking up the DVD from its spot on the couch, he opened it and popped the movie out as he reached for the remote. Flicking the TV on, he inserted the disc and lowered the volume as the previews began to play. Thaddeus considered the screen, then turned and made his way to the window. He undid the drapes, letting them close, and the room plunged into darkness. Much better, the man thought to himself. Thaddeus turned back to the screen, pressing the disc menu button. He heard the low thump of the washer starting, and looked up as Billy came back out. "Ready?" he asked, and the boy nodded. Thaddeus sat down on the couch, Billy joining him. The boy shifted a touch, careful to keep his eyes fixed on the screen as he slowly edged closer to the man. Pretending not to notice, Thaddeus took the remote and pressed play. As the movie started, the boy leaning forward to watch, the man finally let himself smile. Everything was _perfect_.


	18. Daylight

     Thaddeus flicked his alarm off, rolling out of bed with an energy he hadn't felt in some time. He smiled as he turned his lights on, going through his closet to pick out a warmer selection of clothing for today's outing. He could feel the excitement simmering in the pit of his stomach- flying again, he couldn't _wait_ to do it! After he'd changed, the man knocked on Billy's door as he passed by.

     "I'm up," came the tired call from within, and Thaddeus made his way to the kitchen to take a seat at the table. He'd decided against eating breakfast- he wanted to experiment with his flight, and potentially seeing what he'd eaten come back up hadn't sounded like a pleasant idea. The man leaned back in his seat, crossing his legs as he waited for the boy. He closed his eyes, fondly thinking back to his dreams. He'd been soaring through the air, light as a bird and utterly carefree. The rising sun had warmed him as he'd drifted higher, its bright rays illuminating all for him to see. Thaddeus sucked a breath in, shaking his head to bring himself back to the present. Soon, he reminded himself. The sound of approaching footsteps made him open his eyes, and he sat up as Billy entered the kitchen. The boy had decided to wear his new clothing, he was sporting one of his long sleeved shirts and a fresh pair of jeans.

     "You can eat before we head out," Thaddeus offered, but Billy shook his head.

     "I'll be fine," he said, uncertainly considering the man.

     "Yes?" he asked, tilting his head at the look on the boy's face.

     "You're sure you'll be ok today?" Billy asked, thumbs hooking under the straps of his backpack as he looked at the floor. "I could stay home if you wanted, we could watch more movies." Thaddeus smiled, standing from his seat.

     "I'll be fine, Billy," he said, reaching out to rest his hand on the boy's shoulder, "really."

     "Ok," Billy murmured, nodding.

     "Besides," the man said lightly as they started down the hallway together, "your friend will be expecting his phone back." He paused at the thought, looking at the boy as they stepped into the elevator. "I... never thought about that," he admitted, and Billy raised an eyebrow at him. "I could get you a phone, if you'd like," he offered, and the boy's face lit up.

     "'If I'd like?' Uh, yeah," he gushed, vigorously nodding his head, " _yeah,_ I'd like that!" Thaddeus's smile widened at Billy's enthusiasm, it was almost adorable. "This is gonna be so sweet," he continued, his hands waving about with his excitement as he walked. "I could get your phone number, and Freddy's, and I wonder if Darla has a phone? Huh," the boy mulled the idea over, rubbing at his chin as they walked out and started down. "I wonder what'd we talk about." He snorted, a small smile on his lips as they made it to the man's car. He plopped his backpack inside, crawling in as Thaddeus took his own seat. "Probably Elina."

     "Elina?" Thaddeus asked, starting the car as he checked behind them. Seeing no one else, the man pulled out and started for the exit.

     "She's a character from some Barbie movie Darla likes- it's all she talks about," Billy explained. "Give me a few more days and I'm sure I could quote most of the movie to you."

     "Which you won't need to demonstrate," the man assured him, and Billy grinned.

     "Hey, if I have to sit through it, you should have to hear about it too."

     "No, really," Thaddeus insisted, shaking his head as they merged left. "I'm good." Billy chucked at that, and Thaddeus smiled at the lighter mood as they took a right turn. Spending time with his friends would be good for the boy, he hoped. "You remembered Freddy's phone?" he asked, and Billy nodded, digging it out from the side pocket on his backpack to show Thaddeus. "I'm sure he'll be glad to have it back."

     "Yeah, glad he'll be able to text me more his random superhero trivia once I have a phone," Billy said. "He's super into Superman and Batman, he even showed me some pics of "genuine" stuff from them." The boy sat up in his seat, turning to look at Thaddeus with wide eyes. "Hey, you said your part of the company researched superheroes, right?"

     "Supernatural phenomena," he corrected the boy, who rolled his eyes.

     "Yeah, yeah, well flying like Superman is pretty supernatural! Anyway, do you think it'd be ok if we dropped by sometime?" he asked. "Freddy would _freak_ ," he said, chuckling at whatever mental image he was getting.

     "I'll actually be shutting the department down," Thaddeus admitted, and Billy frowned.

     "Really? Why?" The man glanced away, considering his possible responses.

     "How about this," he said, looking the boy in the eye. "I'll show you why after school, ok?"

     "Show me?" Billy repeated, confused, and Thaddeus nodded. His smile widening, the man turned his attention back to the road- Billy wouldn't know what had hit him when the time came.


	19. Swing - Billy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning- there's a poorly written bullying scene coming up in this part where lewd suggestions about Mrs. Vasquez are made.

     "Thanks again for letting me use it," Billy said as he handed Freddy's phone over. The other boy grinned at him, waving a dismissive hand as he took the phone back.

     "No problem, I'm just glad Mr. Sivana's ok."

     "Me, too," Darla said, giving Billy a wide smile before she went back to her macaroni.

     "So, do you know what happened?" Freddy asked, and Billy shook his head.

     "He didn't want to talk about it," he said, and the other boy nodded in understanding. "We ended up watching a movie instead, and he didn't go into work today."

     "What movie did you watch?" Darla asked, looking up at him.

     "The Incredibles 2," he answered, then leaned forward to look between them. "Mr. Sivana hadn't even _seen_ the first one before we got both movies," he said, and both of them gaped at him.

     " _What_?" Freddy gasped, horrified. "That's like, an _American classic_ , how could he have not seen it? Everybody's seen it! _Everyone_!"

     "I know, right?" Billy said, shaking his head. He was so glad that someone else saw the sheer insanity of it!

     "What kind of childhood did he even have?" Freddy muttered, and Billy rolled his eyes at the boy.

     "He's not that young, you know," he said, "it only came out in 2004, he was probably in his twenties or something."

     "Uh, so?" Freddy asked, shrugging. "The Incredibles is for everyone, Billy, not just kids. What kind of family did he-" The boy froze, looking wide eyed at Billy. "Um, sorry," he muttered, looking back down at his tray.

     "No, it's ok," Billy assured him, leaning back in his seat. "I didn't know them," he confessed, "and Mr. Sivana, he... he doesn't seem sad that they're gone."

     "He doesn't?" Darla asked, giving a confused frown, and Billy shook his head.

     "I haven't even seen him cry yet," the boy said, looking away from the two of them in discomfort.

     "Maybe he's just-!" Freddy gave a startled shriek as his seat was jerked out from under him, his flailing hands catching his crutches and knocking them sideways as he fell to the floor.

     "Freddy!?" Both Darla and Billy jumped up from their seats, the little girl racing around the table to kneel beside him. "Are you ok?" she asked, worriedly looking him over. Laughter made Billy look up, and he watched as a taller boy pushed Freddy's seat back in.

     "Watch it, cripple," he told the boy, "you nearly tripped me up! What if I'd fallen, twisted something?" A dark haired boy at his side chuckled, pointedly looking down at Freddy's crutches.

     "Maybe he wanted you to," he said, "then there'd finally be someone else like him here." That got him a smattering of giggles from the students around them, and Freddy gritted his teeth as he pushed himself up.

     "Come on, guys, just leave him alone," Billy told them, and the dark haired boy slowly looked him up and down.

     "No way, Freddy," he said, smirking down at other boy. "Your "family" got you another fake brother?" He grinned, "I know your "mom" needs the extra welfare, but come on, there're _easier_ ways to get money. She could come by my place, I'd pay good-"

      "Stop it!" Darla yelled at him, her face going red with anger and embarrassment. "Leave us alone!"

     "No, really," the boy said, "she's gotta be good with blowjobs at least." Darla covered her ears, taking a step back as he continued. "I mean, how else do you think she got your fancy new phone, Freddy?" he asked the boy, nodding at where his phone lay. "She probably went down on the salesman right there in the store, in front of all those other customers."

     " _Shut up_ ," Freddy hissed, reaching up to grab the edge of the table. He began to pull himself up, but the other boy pushed him back to the floor.

     "Tell me," the dark haired boy said, leaning over him. "Do you think he made her swallow?" His grin widened at the chuckles he got, and Billy felt his stomach clench in disgust as the boy's eyes darkened. "Do you think she liked it?" Fuck this! Billy stooped, grabbing one of Freddy's fallen crutches, and swung.


	20. Phone Call

     Thaddeus listened to the rustling of the trees, closing his eyes as he drifted lower. Was this how Superman felt when he flew? Thaddeus doubted it- the alien had been flying long before he had, he probably didn't even give it a second thought. The man frowned at that as he opened his eyes, reaching out to brush his hands across the leaves closest to him. Would he think about flying like that one day? He hoped not. This was _special_ \- he never wanted it to lose its wonder. Thaddeus angled downward, smiling at his own gentle landing. The first one had been... well... he was just glad no one had been around to see him. Still, he was getting better at this. Rising into the air once more, the man slowly made his way through the thick thicket of trees. He pulled out his phone, glancing at the time. He had three more hours before Billy's school got out- good. Thaddeus slipped the phone back in his pocket, slowing to a stop several feet above the ground as he carefully held his hands out. He'd gotten better at flying, but the lightening... The blueish white sparkles jerkily danced along his fingertips, elongating into full arches as he carefully focused his power. The man gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the little voice in the back of his head that screamed 'danger!' whenever he summoned the lightening. It'd be _fine_ , he snapped at himself. The Sins had given him this power, it wouldn't hurt him! Thaddeus shook his hands out, extinguishing the power to run a hand over his face. Of all the things the stupid little monkey part of his brain could have insisted on being scared of, it just had to be the lightening! Flying? Totally fine, fun even. But lightening coming from his hands? Oh no, lightening was bad, lighting could hurt him!

     "I'll be fine," he hissed at himself, knowing he was accomplishing absolutely nothing by doing so. The man felt the Sins stir slightly at that, their phantom amusement making him frown.

     " _Practice more_ ," the voices told him, _"with practice you will be perfect_." Yes, he knew that, that was why he was out here! Still, Thaddeus thought to himself, it'd take more than just a few hours a day to perfect this kind of power. Thaddeus suspected it could take months, perhaps even longer, for him to fully grasp it. Even worse, he wouldn't be alone out here for much longer. Once winter had fully passed, the families would return. Children, couples, the elderly. Did he want witnesses to his power this early on? If not, where would he practice then? His cellphone rang, and the man sighed as he landed and pulled it out.

     "Thaddeus Sivana," he said, waiting for a reply.

     "Doctor Sivana?" Dr. Crosby? He hadn't been expecting her.

     "What is it, Doctor Crosby?" he asked the woman, and he heard her clear her throat is discomfort.

     "I... um, I'd like to speak with you, if that's possible," she said, and he frowned at her odd tone of voice.

     "Lynn, what is it?" he asked her again.

     "Look, I-" The woman heaved a heavy sigh. "It's about Project Grey Stone." Thaddeus raised an eyebrow at that- had she somehow gotten the news early that he intended to shut it down? "Could we talk about it, face to face?" she asked.

     "Of course, Doctor Crosby," he agreed, "I'll meet you at Sivana Enterprises in-"

     "No," she cut him off, and he frowned down at his phone. "I don't want to do this there." Do this? What was she talking about? "I, uh, I'm actually a few blocks away from your apartment, would you mind if we talked there?"

     "Lynn, just tell me what this is about," he said.

     "I'm sorry, Thaddeus," the woman replied, "but I respect you too much to do this over the phone. Please, will you meet me?" Thaddeus sighed, she wasn't going to budge on her mystery issue.

     "We can meet at my apartment," he conceded. "I'm a ways out, though," he told her, "you'll have to wait for me."

     "Thank you, Doctor Sivana," Lynn said, "I will. Goodbye."

     "Goodbye," he replied, frowning down at his phone when she hung up. What on Earth had gotten into the woman, and how did it tie into the Project? Shaking his head, the man put his phone away as he started back towards his car.


	21. Letter

     "Good evening, Doctor Crosby," he greeted the woman as he entered the apartment complex, the entrance doors sliding shut behind him as she stood from the bench she'd waited on.

     "Doctor Sivana," she returned the greeting, her gaze dropping to the floor when she moved to his side. Thaddeus swiped his card, opening the next door for her. She walked through, pausing for him at the elevator.

     "So," he began as they stepped inside, "what was bothering you about the Project?" She didn't look at him, shame coloring her cheeks as elevator lurched upward. "Doctor Crosby?"

     "It's-" the woman ran a hand through her hair, still avoiding his gaze.

     "Lynn," he softened his voice, trying again. "What is it?"

     "I'm so sorry," she murmured, shaking her head. "I shouldn't be bothering you like this, especially after-" she shifted in discomfort, "after what happened. But I, I can't hide this anymore." Hide this? What on Earth was the woman talking about? The elevator doors slid open, and Doctor Crosby stepped through, making her way towards his room.

     "Doctor Crosby!" He followed after her, frowning at the woman as he reached out to unlock his door. She stepped inside, her gaze fixed on the floor as she made her way into his living room. He shut the door, following after her. "Lynn, could you please just tell me what this is about?" She turned hard on her heel, pulling an envelope out from the pocket of her lab jacket and holding it out to him. He took it from her, turning it over in his hands as she crossed her arms and began to pace across the living room floor. "What is this?" he asked.

     "It's," she took a deep breath, letting it out, "it's my letter of resignation." He stared at her, blindsided.

     "What?"

     "I'll no longer be working at Sivana Industries," the woman told him. She held a hand up, stopping him, "don't worry, I won't go to any of your competitors, but I just, I can't work there anymore.

     "Why?" he asked, thinking over his past interaction with her. She hadn't given him any signs that this was coming, why was she doing this? "Is this because of what happened to my father and Sid? The police are investigating-"

     "It's not about them!" The doctor cut him off, her hands clenching tightly as she turned from him. "It's about me!" She shook her head, her hair swishing with the gesture. "I should've never watched that damn video! I thought there'd be nothing on it, that I-" Her shoulders hunching, the woman covered her mouth. Thaddeus reached out, taking the woman by the shoulder. He turned her towards him, her delicate features twisting in distress.

     "Lynn, tell me what's wrong!" She pulled back, shaking her head.

     "I'm sorry," the woman apologized, "I'm just so sorry. I tried so hard, but-"

     "Just tell me!"

     "I think it's real!" she yelled at him.


	22. Station - Billy

     Stupid, stupid, stupid! Billy cursed himself as he ran, clutching his aching stomach as he pushed past an older couple. He heard the woman gasp, the man calling after him in anger, but he kept on running. Bounding down the stairs, Billy could hear the two boys steadily gaining on him. Fuck! He knew exactly what they were going to do when they caught him! He leapt down the rest of the way, stumbling as his ankle nearly twisted, then straightened up to take the left corner. Please, God, he prayed. Please let there be a train!

     "Stop, you little runt!" Billy heard one of the boys yell, and he paused for the briefest of seconds to look down the track. _Yes_! A train! Sucking a breath in, the boy took off, pushing his way through the gathering crowd. He heard shrieks of indignation, shouted curses, but kept going. Had to get to it, had to get in! Another round of angry shouting told him the boys had reached the crowd, and he shouldered his way through a clustered family. Sidestepping their youngest, Billy finally stumbled onto the train, spinning on his heel to look back out. The two boys were pushing their way forward through the crowd, and he took another step back as they closed in on the train. Would they get on board? What would he do then? He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists in worried anticipation as they successfully made it past the family. The tall boy reached out, lunging for him, and Billy lurched back as the train doors thudded shut. Furious, the two boys beat at the door.

     "We know where you go to school!" the shorter one yelled in at him. "We'll find you, we'll-" As the train shuddered into motion, their curses faded as it slowly began to chug forward. Breathing a sigh of relief, Billy flopped into the nearest empty seat. Slouching back against it, he closed his eyes as he focused on breathing. Safe. Well, for now at least. They were right, he'd have to lay low at school from now on. Crap, that'd be a pain. This wasn't the first time he'd had to do that, the boy reminded himself as he shifted in the seat, it just sucked. He experimentally waggled his foot about, grimacing at the pain that shot up his ankle. Well, great. That was just great. Groaning at his horrible luck, the boy leaned back and shut his eyes. Might as well rest his eyes before the next stop. Mr. Sivana so wasn't going to be happy that he was home early.


	23. Real

     "What?" Thaddeus whispered, and she closed her eyes, grimacing.

     "Project Grey Stone, I think... I think it's real," she repeated, and he stared at her. He took a step back, clenching his hands behind his back as he looked at the floor. She thought it was real? He turned from the woman, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor as he considered his options.

     "Why?" he quietly asked her. The woman sighed, and he heard the couch squeak as she sat down.

     "It was too random," she began. "Back when we first started the Project, the first few subjects we got were all from Pennsylvania. They were all from towns around Philadelphia, and two of the subjects even knew each other. Our mass hysteria theory worked back then," she told him, "it explained everything. Then we got that girl from Arkansas, the man from Texas; that couple from Alabama. How did they connect to Philadelphia? The girl had been there for summer break, but the other three? They'd never set foot there." He turned his head, peering at her from the corner of his eye. The woman shook her head, running a hand over her face as she sat forward. "And then people from other countries started calling in, all repeating the exact same story, and I realized that our theory couldn't explain that." The doctor paused, clearly waiting for him to voice his opinion. He stayed silent. "The stories," she murmured, "they were the other part that never made sense to me. Every single person said the same thing- the cave, the wizard, the statues, they always described them in the same way. How could a man from Texas and a little girl from Rwanda imagine the exact same thing? How could they describe it so similarly? And then _freaking_ Superman came along and changed everything."

     "How so?" he quietly asked her, turning to watch the woman as she stood from the couch.

     "Because he was an alien, Thaddeus! A real, live alien! And if aliens were real?" she shook her head. "Suddenly magic didn't seem like such of a big stretch anymore. I started thinking... what if this was real?"

     "Superman showed himself two years ago," Thaddeus pointed out. "Why didn't you leave then?"

     "Because I _liked_ working with Sivana Enterprises," she told him. "I didn't want to ruin a good thing just because I was having doubts. So, I stayed quiet and kept my head down. Continued the interviews, kept taking notes. And it was working," she said, "until our newest subject."

     "Her video," he realized, and the doctor nodded.

     "I know you won't believe me, you left before it ended, but Thaddeus," she reached out, taking his shoulders as she looked up at him. "I _saw_ it!"

      "Saw what?" the man asked her, and her eyes widened in amazement as she spoke.

      " _The cave_ ," she told him. "It was just for a split second, but her door opened and the light faded, and it was there!" She searched his eyes, her excitement fading as she let him go and stepped back. "I'm sorry," she quietly apologized. "I shouldn't have touched you. You," she paused, giving a little self amused chuckle, "you probably think I'm crazy." The woman gestured to the letter he held. "That's why I have to quit. The Project needs someone who can look at our data subjectively," she shook her head, "I can't do that any more. I'm sorry to disappoint you, sir," she murmured, her eyes downcast. He blinked, suddenly feeling as if he were looking at a younger version of himself.

      _"It was real, dad!"_ he could hear himself yelling. _"I promise, it was there!"_

     _"Stop deluding yourself, Thaddeus,"_ his father had said. He could feel the words on the tip of his tongue.

     "Stop deluding yourself, Lynn," he could say, crumpling her letter. She'd been exhausted, been listening to the subjects for too long. He could tell her it wasn't real, that she'd imagined it. He could... The man held her letter out, and focused his power. A thin spark of lightening lit it on fire, burning it to ash in the blink of an eye. The woman stared wide eyed at his hand, her gaze slowly lifting to his. _He would not be like his father_.

     "It's real," Thaddeus told her.


	24. Say My Name - Billy

     Billy shifted in his seat, tugging his jacket tighter at the chill. Nope, still not comfortable. Sighing, the boy opened his eyes- Where had everyone else gone? He leaned to his left, looking down the empty rows of seats, and looked to his right. No one. Had he missed his stop? Had they all gotten off at it? Billy stood, fingers nervously twisting the fabric of his sleeves as he began to walk towards the front of the train. Maybe if he talked to the driver he'd be able to straighten this all out. Surely they wouldn't go too hard on a kid, right? Right, he told himself. He'd nearly made it to the door when the train lurched beneath him, the boy swaying unsteadily as it began to pick up speed. What the heck? Billy reached out, grabbing the bar above him as the lights flickered and clicked. He heard it then, a strange crackling sound to his left and right. He looked to his left, eyes widening at the ice that jerkily stretched out across the windows. What the-!? The train lurched forward again, wheels squealing with the strain as it sped ever faster. The flickering lights above suddenly flared a blinding yellowish white, the boy falling back onto the seats as he cried out. Turning over, Billy cowered against the floor, his eyes tightly shutting as he covered them with his hands. It _hurt_! He felt the train begin to slow, the lights above fading back to normal as he slowly looked up. The train jerked to a halt, the doors to his left sliding open. Uncertain, the boy slowly stood. Nervously eyeing the train about him, wondering what it would do next, he peered out the door. A massive stone tunnel extended out before him, the dark rocks shining a light grey in the light of the train. He smacked his lips together, eyeing the bizarre sight.

Nope.

     Billy turned back, taking a seat as he resolutely closed his eyes. This was some sort of weird ass dream, all he had to do was wake up. Shifting in the seat, Billy waited to startle awake and be back in the land of the normal. Any second now, he told himself. After a few more moments of silent sitting, Billy sighed and opened his eyes again. All right, it was clearly going to be a while before he woke up, might as well explore the creepy dreamscape before he did. Standing, the boy made his way to the door, hopping out into the tunnel. This was like every bad horror movie he'd ever seen, Billy thought. Looking back to eye the ice incasing the windows of the train, Billy modified his genre selection. Supernatural horror, clearly. As he started down the tunnel, the boy wondered what kind of horrible thing would pop out from the shadows to chase him. Nothing growled at him or moved as he walked, so Billy followed the tunnel as it curved to the right. A massive room stretched out before him, a cluster of thrones at the far end of it. Oh, one of them was occupied. Here it comes, the boy thought to himself as he started across the room. There'd be some running, some screaming, then he'd finally wake up. The brightly dressed figure slowly stood from his seat, the staff he held sounding like thunder with every step he took towards the boy. He'd have to give his imagination kudos, Billy admitted as he eyes the staff, that was pretty cool.

     "Billy Batson," the old man said, brushing away white hair to reveal milky blue eyes. "There is no time to pick another, you _must_ be my Champion." Huh, so maybe not supernatural horror, then? "I am the last Guardian of the Rock of Eternity, the seat of all magic on Earth," the man continued, his expression darkening, "I have failed in my duties." He gestured behind Billy, and the boy turned to eye several spots of rubble. "With the help of a man, the Seven Deadly Sins have escaped from their prison and now inhabit your world. You must return them, or they will bring death and ruin to all."

     "Okay," Billy slowly agreed, eyeing the man. So it was a video game dream, then? Great! He usually enjoyed those, he'd have no problem with playing along now! "So, what do I have to do?"

     "Take my staff," the man instructed, planting it between them. "I will transfer my powers to you, and they will transform you into your greatest potential." Billy reached out, clasping it. Man, it'd kind of be a shame now when he woke up. He hated not finishing quests, even when they were just dream ones. "Say my name, so that my power may flow through you," the old man told him. Ok- so he was back to supernatural horror... video game... porno sounding... dream then. This was _weird_.

     "Uh, sir, I don't know your name," Billy said.

     "My name," the man said, his voice lowering with near reverence as he spoke, "is Shazam." Shazam? Billy couldn't help it, he laughed. What a stupid name!

     "You've got to be kidding-"

     " _Say it_!" The man yelled, his cloudy eyes narrowing.

     "Ok, geez," the boy said, "no need to shout, man. That's all I need to do?"

     "It is," the weird man told him, nodding. All right, fine then. Shrugging, Billy spoke his name.

     "Shazam."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I used my dinky little backup laptop with the new browser to make this chapter, and it has yet to close on me. Hopefully (fingers crossed) this is the fix I've been looking for, I'm going to be sad if it isn't.  
> EDIT- so it's not the fix all and it still occasionally closes on me but gosh dang it, I'll make it work!  
> Edit 2- My dinky laptop murdered itself :'(


	25. Supernatural - Billy

     Billy couldn't even scream, barely aware of the sound of the Wizard's voice over him as lightening coursed through the boy. It felt like he was on fire, like every nerve he had was being scorched! Unable to fully move, all the boy could do was jerk and spasm as the Wizard spoke.

     "I open my heart to you, Billy Batson," Shazam intoned, his voice deep and thick with desperate emotion as he looked into the boy's wide eyes, "and in doing so, gift you my power, and the powers of my brothers and sisters! _You_ are our new beginning, and through you their seats will no longer sit empty! Billy Batson," the Wizard reached out, clasping his hands where they were locked on the staff, " _I choose you as Champion_." The lightening cut off, and Billy slumped to the floor, twitching. He lie there, wide eyed and gasping for air. The sudden silence made him turn, strain to look up to where the man stood. The Wizard took a step back, and Billy stared as his face began to change. Bits of skin fell like grains of sand, and Billy made a thin sound of horror as the man's body trembled and hunched, crumbling into a pile before him. He wanted to wake up now. He wanted to wake up, _he wanted to wake up_! The boy shoved himself away from the pile of... of person... and stopped. He stared down at his hands, unable to comprehend them. They were bigger, and holy shit, so were his arms, and oh, oh God what the fuck was wrong with _his body_!?! Billy gasped for air, shaking his head as he looked down at himself.

     "What-?" he started in a voice that wasn't his own- deeper, more adult sounding. Billy looked back at the remains of the Wizard, watching as a slight breeze scattered them across the floor. "I don't- What? _What_?" The Wizard's staff, which had remained upright after the collapse of the Wizard, swayed. It slowly tilted, and with no one to catch it, fell to the floor. As the jeweled top made contact, light flared out from it, the sound of roaring thunder echoing through the hallway. Billy shut his eyes, clapped his hands to his ears, screamed-

 

     And jerked awake on the subway train. He clutched at the solid seat beneath him, eyes darting about at the sudden loudness of multiple conversations. There were people here, not like before. It... it had all really been a dream, then? Oh thank God. The boy slumped back in his seat, breathing a sigh of relief as he closed his eyes.

     "I applaud your outfit choices today, man," an amused voice told him, and Billy opened his eyes to see a man looking him up and down. "I mean, it shouldn't work, but damn you look good!" Billy frowned, what was he talking about? He looked down-! The boy gasped, staring in horror down at his freakishly large body. But, but he'd woken up! As the train slowed to a stop, Billy pushed himself up from the seat, stumbling through the crowded compartment. Everyone was staring at him, a few women whistling as he pushed his way out into the train station. What the fuck? _Whatthefuck_? What was this!?! Billy started for the stairs, his awkward gait uneven as he reached out and grabbed the bar to help himself up.

     "Lookin' good, cutie," a woman said as she passed him by, and Billy felt his world spin as he turned his head to watch her continue on down. He clapped a hand to his mouth, swallowing down the abrupt urge to vomit as he stumbled up the steps. How had this happened? _Howhow_? Could he-? The boy stopped, staring down at himself. Could he even stop this? Make him... him... again? The Wizard was dust! Oh Lord, what if he couldn't turn back? What was he supposed to do, go the hospital? Walk into the ER and go, "yeah, a Wizard turned me into an adult and then he died, so I need you to turn me back." Yeah, that'd go super well. He'd be locked up in a looney bin faster than he could say, "I thought it was a supernatural horror video-"

Wait.

 _Wait_.

     He jumped on the idea. That was it! Supernatural! _Mr. Sivana_! If the man had been researching stuff like magic, surely he'd know something about how to turn Billy back, right? Yes! Lurching forward, cursing his unsteady walking, Billy hurried as fast as he could. Mr. Sivana would know what to do, he told himself. He would fix this!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :-D  
> As soon as Thaddeus told Billy some of the truth about his job in Chapter 7, it stopped making sense (to me) for Billy to still run to Freddy. So we got this, and it makes me so happy :)


	26. Hard Knock

     He carefully wove the tendrils of lightning around his fingers, watching them ripple and jerk as he looked to Lynn. The woman stood staring, her mouth agape as she watched the sparks of electricity.

     "Wha-" The doctor shook her head, her throat clicking as she swallowed. "Thaddues? What, how?"

     "The woman's video," he explained, focusing the lightening into the palm of his hand. "There were signs on her clock, I used them to unlock the gateway to the Wizard's cave."

     "Signs?" she repeated, looking lost. "But how did you- Where did you-?" The doctor shook her head again, slowly reaching for his wrist. He let her take it, holding his flickering power out as she stared down at the small ball of lightening. It shown in her eyes, bright spots of white against her brown, and she released his wrist as she looked back up at him. "Thaddeus," she murmured, her voice low with awe. "This- this is amazing! You've done the impossible!" An almost childish joy lit up her face, and the woman's hands flailed about in excitement. "You found the Wizard!" He'd never seen her like this before- he was torn between finding it odd and enjoying it. "I never really thought anyone would find him, but you," she shook her head, "you did! What was it like?" she instantly pressed forward. "Did our subjects' descriptions of it match?" The woman suddenly gasped, her eyes going wide. "Do you think you could take us back?"

     "Us?" he asked, frowning.

     "The rest of the team," she told him. "If we could get in, actually study the location- it'd, it'd be amazing! It'd revolutionize our research!"

     " _Yes_ ," the voices agreed, and he blinked in surprise, " _you must return to the Rock, the Wizard's staff_ -"

     "Wait! The Wizard!" The woman reached out, tightly clutching at his sleeve as she looked up at him. "Your power- you passed his test? Do you think he's still there, then?" she wondered, oblivious to his sudden discomfort. "Do you think he'd speak with us? Show us how he uses his magic? If we could-"

BANG!

     The two startled at the sudden sound, both of them turning to his door. A tightly clenched fist stuck out through it.


	27. The Champion

     "Oh crap," Thaddeus heard a man's voice hiss, the fist awkwardly pulling itself free from his door. "Crap! Mr. Sivana! Are you home?" the stranger called in, sounding oddly desperate. The doctor caught his arm when he moved for the hallway, her fingers tightening on his sleeve.

     "What are you doing?" she whispered, trying to tug him back. "We have to call the police!"

     "I'll handle this, Lynn," he assured her, shaking himself free of her grasp.

     Thaddeus!" she quietly hissed, her face twisting in distress as he entered the hallway. "Thaddeus, just- just wait!" He paused as the woman ducked into the kitchen, and heard the sound of several drawers opening before she stepped back out. The man's lips twitched- she was brandishing a rolling pin. "Ok," she whispered, her knuckles whitening on the handle. With the doctor following in his footsteps, Thaddeus approached the door.

     "Who is it?" he called out, eyeing the hole. "What do you want?"

     "Oh, oh thank God you're home!" the man on the other side gushed. "I, uh, I'm sorry about the door, I swear I didn't mean to! These stupid freaky hands!" Freaky hands? Thaddeus cocked an eyebrow, glancing at Lynn, and she gave him a baffled shrug.

     "I'm going to open the door," he called out, "I don't want any sudden movements, understood?"

     "What? Sure, man, whatever you want- you just gotta help me!" Thaddeus unlocked the door, gesturing Lynn to the side as he slowly opened it. A tall man in bright red and white stood before him. What the hell, he thought. Where had this bizarrely dressed man even come from?

     " _The Champion_!" the voices of the Sins hissed, angry and fearful. " ** _Destroy him_**!" His hands twitched, clenching tightly at their demand. The Champion? What were they talking about? Was this stranger some kind of threat to him?

     "Who are you?" he repeated, glaring when the man hesitated.

     "Look, I know this is going to sound really insane and impossible, but-" the brightly dressed man stepped forward, his hands patting at his own chest, "it's me! It's Billy!" Ah, no. Thaddeus very pointedly looked him up and down, shaking his head.

     "You're clearly unwell, sir," he told the man. "There's a center north of here that deals with those who need psychological help, I'd be more than happy to help you get-"

     "No!" The man shook his head. "I'm not-! This isn't-!" He rubbed shakings hands over his face, giving a loud groan. "I'm Billy Batson! You know, the kid you're fostering!"

     "Yes," Thaddeus said, "the _kid_. You're not a child, sir."

     "I am!" the stranger insisted, putting his hands on his hips as he paced in quick little circles. "Think, Billy, how do I- Oh!" he clapped his hands together, spinning back towards Thaddeus. "You'd never seen the Incredibles before I watched it with you, and you said afterwards that you thought Syndrome should've won. And I was like, 'yeah, he had cool tech.' You remember, right?" Thaddeus frowned. No, it wasn't possible. Billy was just a boy, how could the man before him know-

     " _The Wizard_!" The Sins hissed at him, " _he gave the boy the last of his magic! He's dangerous, you must_ -!" Shut up, he mentally snapped back, shaking his head.

     "Let's say I believe you," he began, and the other man's face lit up. "If you're really Billy, tell me what happened." The stranger looked to his left, then to his right.

     "Could I do this in the apartment?" he pleaded, and Thaddeus sighed, waving Lynn back as he stepped back into his apartment and gestured to the living room. The man stepped inside, his eyes going wide when he saw the doctor.

     "What're you doing here?" he asked her.

     "Living room," Thaddeus insisted, and Lynn followed behind him as they stepped back into the carpeted room. "You have five minutes to explain before I call the police," he informed the man. "Now start."

     "Ok, ok," the man said, running a shaking hand through his hair. "So there was this big cave, like, _big_ big, and this wizard named Shazam-!" The doctor screamed at the explosion of lightening, the room shuddering as Thaddeus closed his eyes in the blinding light. The room darkened a second later, and the man slowly opened his eyes. The living room was in total disarray. The carpet was a crispy black. The wall behind where the man had stood looked like tar. And in the center of it all stood Billy. The boy looked at his hands, then at his body, and looked up to where Thaddeus stood. "What did he do to me?" the boy asked, shaking his head as his face twisted in fear. "Mr. Sivana, _what did he do to me_!?"


	28. The First Hug

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unorthodox officially became my most read work yesterday- to celebrate that milestone (and as a thank you for your patience with this story) the Chapter Note below will be a tiny snippet/rough draft of the (distant?) future.

     Billy promptly burst into tears, his shoulders shaking as he covered his face and fell back onto the couch, curling in on himself. Thaddeus froze, completely horrified. What? He looked to Lynn, who was looking between them in awed bafflement. The woman looked down at the rolling pin she still had, and held it out to him. He slowly took it.

     "I-" she began, then cleared her throat. "I have questions, so many questions, but..." The doctor looked at Billy, her expression morphing to now include awkward pity. "I'll come back tomorrow, ok?" What? She was leaving him? "This is, is _so_ much more than I thought it was," she told him, shaking her head. "I need time to think about it. I'll see you tomorrow?" Lynn looked at him, clearly seeking his approval. Billy's sobs were getting louder. Lost, he stared at the boy. "We'll... talk about it then," she said, nodding to herself and turning on her heel to quickly stride out of his apartment. Thaddeus didn't even follow her to lock the door, he just stood fixed in the living room, watching Billy cry. He'd never had to deal with crying children before. _Never_. His father had taught him from an early age that boys didn't cry, and the only exposure he'd had since then to upset children was occasionally passing one on his way to work. What was he supposed to do?

     "Billy?" he quietly asked, but the boy didn't respond. He set the rolling pin down. Fingers twitching, feeling vastly out of his league, Thaddeus slowly moved to sit beside him. He hesitantly reached out, resting his hand on Billy's back. The boy froze at his touch, the sobs pausing for a moment, and Thaddeus shifted in discomfort as he rubbed the boy's shoulders. This was comforting, right? He'd seen Donovan doing it to Lynn when the woman had been upset, and she'd seemed better afterwards. "It's-" ok? No, he could feel the Sins roiling beneath his skin. They wanted to reach out and rend. Rip and tear, _end_ the threat. It'd be so easy, the boy clearly wasn't used to his- _No_! Thaddeus tightly shut his eyes, shaking away their thoughts as he refocused on Billy. The boy wasn't a threat to him! In the state he was now, he wasn't a threat to anyone! "It's going to be okay, Billy," he forced himself to say. "We'll figure this out." The boy shifted, looking at him with reddened eyes. "I'm here," he reassured him, "you're not alone." He wasn't prepared for Billy to flop against his side, the boy burying his face against Thaddeus's shoulder. As another shudder wracked the boy, Thaddeus finally made himself reach out. Feeling painfully awkward, he wrapped an arm around Billy, letting the boy sob against him. "It'll be ok," he quietly murmured, trying his hardest to believe it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Snippet:
> 
> The woman reached out, clasping his hands as she knelt before him. Wide eyed, Billy stared down at her.  
> "Uh..."  
> "It is an honor to meet you," she said, looking up at him. "It has been many generations since an Amazon was able to fight alongside the Champion of the Gods." The Champion of the who now? Their eyes met, and the intensity of her gaze pinned him in place. "I, Princess Diana of Themyscira, do pledge to stand by your side when you have need of me. I shall strike down your foes, and should you fall on the battlefield, I will avenge you," she swore.  
> "... Thanks?" Billy asked more than told her, and the woman smiled as she released his hands and stood.  
> "Well," the Flash muttered, awkwardly clearing his throat when they looked at him. "That just happened."


	29. Empty Thrones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't remember if Thaddeus needed to make the signs again to reopen doors to the wizard's lair, so we're just going to pretend like he doesn't need to.

     He waited just beyond the boy's door, till the quiet sniffling from within had faded to slow, steady breathing. Sure that Billy was finally asleep, Thaddeus turned and strode towards his own room. _Bastard_. The absolute bastard! He stopped just before his door, closing his eyes as he reached for the power within him. It answered his call, and he shuddered at the way it curled through his veins. The man reached for the knob, focusing everything he had on it. Open, he willed it. Open, open, op- A thin web of electricity flickered down the knob, and it turned with a low groan. A familiar gust of wind met him, and he squinted down the dark tunnel that stretched out before him. Good. The man stepped through, pausing to peer back out at his apartment. The boy's door stayed shut, he didn't hear any movement. Thaddeus shut the door, stepping back as he watched its surface ripple like water. It vanished before his very eyes, and the man turned to look around the tunnel he stood in. It curved off to the right, and the man shook his hands out as he started down it. He could still vividly hear the boy's sobs, feel him shiver in his arms. How dare he? How **_dare_** the wizard touch his boy! Billy had looked so lost, so _afraid_ , and the wizard had done that to him! Thaddeus stalked up the slight incline, gritting his teeth as he stepped out into the massive throne room. It looked just how he had left it- the pedestal standing empty, the crumpled remains of the Sins' prisons strewn about. Where? His eyes darted about, seeking the red of the wizard's robes. Where was he!?

     "Come out, you coward!" Thaddeus yelled, his voice echoing. "Face me!" Nothing moved. No one answered. The man strode out into the wide room, his hands shaking as he clenched them. "Where are you!?"

     " _Gone_ ," the Sins replied, and Thaddeus blinked. Gone? The wizard had fled, then? That didn't matter. No matter where he hid, how far he ran, Thaddeus would _find_ him. That the bastard would dare drag Billy into this- his death would be agony incarnate!

     "Where?" he demanded, eyes flinting around the room. There had to be clues somewhere. He had found the wizard once, he would do it again!

     " _Dead_ ," they answered, and Thaddeus froze.

     "What?" he whispered.

     " _The wizard is dead_ ," they repeated for him. " _The boy is all that's left of his power_."

     "He can't be gone," the man said, shaking his head. The Sins didn't bother to reply. "He- he _can't_ be!" Silence. Thaddeus closed his eyes, his hands twitching. No. **No**. This couldn't be. Thaddeus had found the wizard, taken his precious orb and the Sins. He'd had his revenge! The wizard couldn't be allowed to have the final laugh! He'd hurt Billy- he had to pay for that! He had to be out there, somewhere. Hiding from him, plotting something. But... the Sins had never lied... But that meant... Thaddeus took a hissing breath, his eyes snapping wide. Lightening crackled down his arms, bursting from his fingertips. The wizard's throne exploded, showering the dais with rubble and dust. Turning his power on the next throne, Thaddeus screamed.


	30. Invite

     Thaddeus opened his eyes as the doorbell rang, shoving his sheets back as he crawled out of the bed.

     "Coming!" he called out, making his way down the hallway. The doorbell rang again, and the man frowned when he finally made it to the entrance. It wasn't like Lynn to be this impatient. He'd known that yesterday had been rather trying, but still. Thaddeus reached out, opening the door.

     "Ly-" He stopped, staring at the small group of people who before him. The dark haired woman looked him up and down, giving him a wide smile.

     "You're Mr. Sivana, yes?" she asked, and he nodded. "Hi," she offered him her hand, and he slowly took it. "I'm Rosa Vasquez. This is my husband, Victor," the man beside her waved, "and this is Freddy and Darla."

     "Hey, Mr. Sivana," the boy greeted him. "It's, uh, it's nice to meet you. In person." The boy cleared his throat, his gaze dropping. Thaddeus looked between them all, his eyebrows furrowing.

     "Billy said that he'd given you your phone back," he slowly started, and Freddy's eyes widened in understanding.

     "He did," the boy hurriedly clarified, "it's just that, well..."

     "We wanted to thank him for what he did yesterday," Mrs. Vasquez explained, and Thaddeus gave her a blank look. Billy hadn't said anything about school, what had happened?

     "Did he do something?" Thaddeus hesitantly probed, and the little girl grinned up at him.

     "Yeah!" she said, nodding. "He beat some bullies who were saying mean things about mom!"

     "Darla!" Freddy admonished her, and the girl cocked her head at him.

     "What?" she asked, shrugging, "he asked what happened."

     "She's..." the woman sighed, "she's not wrong." The woman looked to Thaddeus. "Some boys at school were bullying them, saying...," she looked away, cheeks reddening with embarrassment, "lewd things about me. Billy stood up to them. When Freddy told us about what had happened, we knew we had to reach out." She looked to her son, reaching out to touch his shoulder. "Not a lot of kids stand up for him there, that Billy would," she shook her head, "I can't tell you how much that means to us."

     "Mr. Sivana?" Thaddeus turned at the sound of Billy's voice, the boy nervously peering around the corner. "Is that Ms. Crosby?"

     "No," he said, shaking his head, and Billy relaxed. "Your friends from school are here," he explained, and the boy perked up at that. He joined Thaddeus, grinning at the two kids.

     "Hey, guys!"

     "Billy!" The little girl rushed at him, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug, "thank you, thank you, thank you!" Billy froze, turning wide eyes toward Thaddeus. He looked back, just as helpless as the girl buried her face in Billy's chest.

     "Um..." the boy looked at Mrs. Vasquez, a pleading expression on his face. She gave a light chuckle at that, reaching out to gently pull her daughter off the boy.

     "Don't smother the boy, Darla," she jokingly scolded the little girl, "he hasn't tasted my chocolate chip pancakes yet."

     "You're going to love them," Darla said, "mom makes the _best_ pancakes!" Billy looked from her to Thaddeus, lost.

     "We were hoping you'd like to have breakfast with us," Mrs. Vasquez explained, turning her smile on Thaddeus. "Your father can come too, of course."

     "Breakfast," Billy repeated, staring at the woman.

     "Mr. Sivana?" They all turned, and Thaddeus felt a touch of relief at Lynn's appearance. A familiar face- he needed that right now. "I," she paused, looked at the family before them. "I'm sorry, I- I didn't know you were having visitors."

     "Oh," Mrs. Vasquez murmured, looking between the two of them.

     "You can come too!" Darla cheerfully told the woman, and everyone looked at her. She swallowed.

     "To... to what?" she asked.

     "Breakfast!" the little girl said, grinning up at her parents. Wide eyed, Lynn look at Thaddeus. Why did people keep doing that?

     "Sure?" the scientist said, giving a small shrug, and Thaddeus closed his eyes. It looked like they were going to breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay guys, I've finally managed to map out a path to the end. Most of the things I said about the upcoming finale in these past few chapters? Forget them. Some story tweaks have made most of those false now. Also, this is sadly going to invalidate that little flash forward I made in ch. 28 :-(  
> This isn't going to be perfect, but I'm going to try my best to get this done.


	31. Breakfast

     Thaddeus couldn't help but stare as Mrs. Vasquez carefully positioned plate after plate of pancakes across the wide expanse of the table. He'd never seen so many of them, and they came in a variety of types. Plain, blueberry, chocolate, wheat; sprinkles. So _many_.

     "Go ahead," Mr. Vasquez told him, the other man forking a few pancakes onto his plate. The rest of the children around them also dug in, passing plates and syrup between themselves as Thaddeus sat back and watched the chaos unfold.

     "So," he looked to his left, to where Freddy sat. "I know that Sivana Enterprises is, like, some kind of tech giant, but what do you do there?" Thaddeus eyed the boy's parents, reluctant to tell the truth in front of them.

      "We..." Dr. Crosby trailed off, looking at him in uncertainty. He sat back, finally nodding. "We study supernatural phenomena." Freddy gaped at her. "Until recently," she continued, setting her fork down, "we'd been running into dead ends, but this time..."

     "This time?" Freddy pressed, excited, and his father chuckled at him. Thaddeus stuck his fork in a plain pancake, pulling it onto his plate. He took a small cup of syrup, setting it beside his plate as he began to cut the pancake. The woman paused, biting her lip as she considered it.

     "We've... gotten a few promising individuals," she slowly said, and Freddy sat forward, eyes fixed on her as she continued. "Things are uncertain right now," Dr. Crosby said, "we'll need to perform tests, see how far this goes." She paused again, looking Thaddeus in the eyes as she smiled. "If this works, however, I'm confident that Fawcett city will have its first superhero."

     "That's amazing!" the boy said, wide eyed. The woman's smile widened, and she nodded.

     "It is," she said.

     "What're you going to name him, then?" he asked, then added, "or her."

     "Name?" the doctor repeated, blinking at the boy.

     "Yeah! I mean, you gotta take their powers into account, obviously," he insisted, "but they've still gotta be cool."

     "But not man," Billy cut in, and Freddy thought about it.

     "True," he said, nodding. "We've already got a Batman, a Superman, an Aquaman, and a Wonder Woman."

     "I-" the woman paused, a touch flustered at his intensity. "We hadn't thought about it." Freddy looked between the three of them, his face slack with disbelief.

     "'Hadn't thought about it?'" he repeated. "Why not?"

     "Freddy," the boy's mother gently cut in, pointing her fork at his plate. "Eat your food before it gets soggy." He grumbled at that, cutting away at his drenched pancake.

     "We'll have to brainstorm it at the lab," Lynn told him, chewing thoughtfully at a section of her food. "What do you think, Mr. Sivana?" she asked him.

     "We should focus on testing for now," the man said, swirling his piece in the cup of syrup. "It's a bit too early to be considering names." The woman nodded, turning back to her pancakes.

     "Oh!" Mrs. Vasquez turned to her oldest daughter, the girl startling at the sudden turn of attention. "Your application! Did the university ever call back?" The girl hesitated, then nodded.

     "Yeah," she quietly said, "they... they accepted it."

     "Oh, honey," the woman reached out, clapping a hand to her back. "I'm so proud!" Her daughter beamed at the praise, and Thaddeus looked back to his plate. He felt a touch uncomfortable being there- it was clearly a personal moment. Dr. Crosby's phone buzzed, and the woman pulled it out of her pocket and flipped it open. She took a quick look, then snapped it shut. She looked to Thaddeus.

     "That was Donovan," she told him, "he said they're all finally in."

     "Good," he said, nodding. "Mrs. Vasquez? Mr. Vasquez?" The two adults looked at him. "This has been a wonderful breakfast, but I'm afraid we'll have to cut things short. We have a project at work," he explained.

      "Of course," the other man said, nodding.

     "Thank you for the food, it was delicious," he told them, and Darla grinned at him from her sister's side.

     "Told you!"

     "You did," he agreed, standing. "Billy?" The boy pushed his empty plate away, giving Darla and Freddy a wave as Lynn started for the door. "Thank you again for having us," Thaddeus told the couple, "we'll have to return the favor sometime."

     "Careful," Mr. Vasquez cautioned him, "Rosa will hold you to that!"

     "I look forward to it," he replied, giving one last wave before he joined Lynn by the door. Billy followed after them, and the small group made their way from the house.

     "Did you mean it?" Billy asked him, and he cocked an eyebrow at the boy. "About eating with them again." Thaddeus thought about it, then nodded. It hadn't been an unpleasant experience.

     "Good," the boy said, smiling. "They're nice."

     "They are," Thaddeus agreed, fishing his keys out from his pocket. He unlocked the car, starting for the driver's seat as Billy and Lynn got in.


	32. Show

     The team hadn't believed Lynn right up till the moment he'd started floating. Thaddeus held his hands out, focusing lightning into his palms as the small group of men and women around him stood in stunned silence. The doctor smiled up at him, and Billy stared in mute shock.

     "Now," Lynn started as Thaddeus landed, "we need to start thinking of tests." The lanky scientist to her left, Richard, just sat down on the floor as he ran a hand over his face.

     "Lynn," Donovan quietly said, his eyes still looked on the man, "Mr. Sivana just _flew_ and you want to talk about _tests_!?"

     "Of course," she replied, nodding. "If we want to help Mr. Sivana understand his powers, we need to firmly establish his abilities and boundaries.

     "Lynn," Donovan repeated, gesturing wildly at him, " _Mr. Sivana just flew_!"

     "Your hands," another scientist, Rebecca, cautiously approached him. He cupped his hands together, holding them out as he let another spark of lightning dance across his palms. "Are you manipulating positive and negative ions, somehow?" she asked, and he thought about it, then shrugged.

     "It just," Thaddeus paused, trying to think of how to phrase it. "It just comes to me," he finally said, giving a small shrug. She gave small, disbelieving laugh.

     "Lightning 'just comes to you'," she quietly repeated, shaking her head. "I just," she looked to Lynn, "I can't understand it. How did this even _happen_?"

     "The Wizard," the doctor explained, and Thaddeus winced internally as Billy turned wide eyes on him. "He passed the Wizard's tests!"

     "The Wizard's real?" Richard asked from his spot on the floor, and she nodded. "Holy crap," he muttered.

     "What was it like?" Rebecca questioned him.

     "Just like what our subjects described," Thaddeus replied.

     "Could you... would you mind doing it again?" Donovan asked, and Thaddeus looked at him. "The flying?" He nodded, rising to hover several feet off the floor. His staff gathered around him, and he smiled at the awe in their eyes.

 

      Lynn lowered her phone, saving the video she'd taken of him manipulating his lightning. He watched as she shared it to the other members of their team, the woman clearing her throat to get their attention. "Now," Lynn said, and the group turned back to her as Thaddeus finally landed, "I know some of you are going to be really tempted to share this, but I'm asking you- please, don't. Today," she gestured at him, "is just the beginning. We have _so much more_ to study, and leaking this could ruin that."

      "If it helps," Thaddues interjected, staring at them, "I'll find you and kill you if you share it." Several eyes widened. He smiled, spreading his hands wide. "I'm joking," he said, and that got him relieved smiles and a few chuckles.

      "Now, I know that Mr. Sivana has been quite the sight to see, but-" The boy suddenly reached out to tug on her sleeve, and she leaned down to let him whisper into her ear. After a moment, she nodded at him. "We're going to end things early today," she explained. The scientists and researchers nodded at that, and she smiled at them. "I know that this is a _lot_ to take in, so go home and do whatever you need to come to terms with it. Since we'll be starting testing tomorrow, I'd like to move to a larger, more remote location. If you guys think you know a good location, text the details to Mr. Sivana. We'll meet at 8:00, that sound alright with everyone?" Another wave of head bobbing, and Thaddeus watched as the group dispersed, more than a few of them sending admiring looks his way as they left.

      "Um," Thaddeus turned, looking at Billy. "Where's the bathroom?"

      "Down the hall, to the left," the man said, and Billy started for it. He watched the boy walk, glancing at Lynn as she came to his side. "I thought you'd want to test the boy's powers too," he said, and she sighed.

     "He said he didn't want to," the woman explained. "And after last night, I..." She shook her head, "I couldn't make him. I can't," she continued, looking up at him, "but maybe you can." He frowned at her. "I don't want you to force him," she hurriedly clarified, "but if you could talk to him about it?"

     "Maybe," Thaddeus said, stroking his chin as he looked down the hallway.

     "If he never wants to use them, I understand that," Lynn said, "but as long as he has them, it couldn't hurt for him to at least know how to control them."

     "I'll talk to him," he assured her, and she gave him a small smile.

     "Thank you." They looked up as the boy re-entered the room.

     "So," he murmured, fiddling with his sleeves, "can we go now?" Thaddeus nodded.


	33. Night

     He hadn't been able to work up the courage to talk to the boy about his powers. They'd eaten a quiet dinner, and Billy had gone to bed. Odd, though, now that he thought about it. The boy hadn't asked him any questions about Thaddeus's abilities. He shook his head, pushing the thoughts of the day away as he paused by Billy's door to listen. Hearing quiet snores from within, the man continued onward to his bedroom. He stopped before his door, picture the Wizard's cave in his mind as he reached for the door knob. A thin spark of electricity arched out, and he opened the door to a now familiar stone hallway. Thaddeus stepped through, shutting the door behind himself and watching it fade.

     "You're sure about this?" he asked the Sins, and felt them impatiently flicker through his head.

     " _Yes,_ " came their short reply. Thaddeus sighed, walking down the rocky hallway and taking the right bend. He came out into the ruined throne room, stepping over the rubble of their former prisons. He walked up to the dais, using his foot to shift aside the rocks covering the staff. Thaddeus reached down, picking it up. He eyed the blue stone on top for a moment, then closed his eyes as he focused his power. Home, he thought, his room. He felt the world shift around him, and opened his eyes to the dim light of his bedroom. Thaddeus looked at the staff, sitting on the edge of his bed as he felt the rough wood, electricity sparking across his fingertips as he cautiously touched the shining stone.

     "How does it work?" he asked them.

     " _Grasp the staff_ ," the Sins told him. " _Have the boy do so too_. _He will speak the name of the Wizard, as you will. His powers will be transferred to you_." Thaddeus nodded, standing to lean the staff against the wall. Sighing, the man took his clothes off, wading them into a ball and tossing them into his bin. He pulled his PJs on, sitting back on the bed. After turning his alarms on, the man pulled his sheets up and lay back. Tomorrow would be... interesting. He shifted, turning onto his side as he closed his eyes.


	34. Morning

     Thaddeus opened his eyes to the buzz of his phone, the man reaching out to switch his alarm off. He pushed himself up, sighing as he looked at the staff. Billy was going to have questions if he saw it, and Thaddeus wasn't sure how ready he was to answer them. Better to just avoid that, then, he decided. The man changed into his morning clothes, picking up the staff as he snagged his keys off the top of his dresser. He opened his door, quietly walking past the boy's room. He made his way down the hallway, turning into the living room, and he tucked the staff beneath his arm as he reached the door. Unlocking it, the man stepped outside, turning to quietly shut the door before he relocked it. Thaddeus slipped his keys into his pocket, setting out for the elevator. It was uneventful ride down, and the man walked a little faster once he stepped outside. He breathed a little easier when he was in the safety of the parking complex, feeling better at being out of plain view. Thaddeus strode up to his car, pulling his keys out to unlock the trunk. It popped open, and he slid the staff inside. Shutting the trunk, he locked it before turning on his heel and starting back. The walk up was just as quiet, and he fished his phone out of his pocket when it buzzed. Stepping onto the elevator, he opened Lynn's message. It listed the location- some park out in the middle of nowhere. He texted back a confirmation, then pocketed his phone as he left the elevator and started back.

     "Thought you'd left without me," Billy said when he re-entered the apartment, the boy looking up from his bowl of cereal as Thaddeus entered the kitchen and took a seat at the table. "Where'd you go?" he asked.

     "The car," Thaddeus decided to answer honestly. "I have a few things I want the team to study." Billy slowly stirred his soggy cereal, shifting in discomfort.

     "You're not gonna make me... do it... there, are you?" he asked. Thaddeus wished he could fully understand what the boy was feeling. To have the power the man had always wanted, only to be terrified of it... Thaddeus sighed.

     "Do you want-?"

     " _No_ ," the boy said, hurriedly shaking his head.

     "Then you don't have to," Thaddeus decided, and Billy wearily eyed him.

     "You mean it?" he asked, and the man nodded. "Good," the boy said, breathing a sigh of relief. He went back to eating his cereal as Thaddeus watched him. He finished it off after a few more bites, then got up to place his bowl in the sink. "Aren't you going to eat?" he asked. Thaddeus shook his head. Billy shrugged at that, starting back towards his room to change his clothes. He paused when he hit the hallway, turning back to Thaddeus. "Mr. Sivana?" Thaddeus looked at him. "Thanks," the boy said, "you know, for not..." he trailed off, and the man nodded. Flashing a quick smile, Billy disappeared around the corner. Thaddeus sighed, covering his face with his hands as the Sins whispered in the back of his head. It'd be so easy to take the boy's powers. He likely wouldn't even need to force it, Billy would probably leap at any chance to get rid of his abilities. It was just that... the Sins- they didn't _want_ this to be that easy. They wanted it to be hard, for him to have to force the boy to give in. They wanted to terrify him, sink their claws into-

     " _Stop it_ ," he hissed, nauseated by the gleeful visions of destruction they hoped for. He would never hurt Billy like that! They would just have settle for the easy way, or nothing at all! The Sins didn't like that, and the man rubbed a fist over his throbbing eye. "Deal with it," he snapped at them.

     "Deal with what?" Thaddeus's head snapped up, and he stared at Billy in surprise.

     "Nothing," the man said, "I... I was just talking to myself." The boy gave a hesitant nod at that, and Thaddeus forced a smile as he stood. "Ready to go?" Billy nodded, and the man began their walk back down to the car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Billy knows something's wrong, but Thaddeus is the only constant adult figure he has in his life right now. I figured he isn't just going to come out and be like, "hey, so the wizard mentioned something about demons, did you have anything to do with that?"


	35. Reveal - Billy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to give you all a heads up- there's going to be some violence in the chapter and some people get hurt.

     "Go on ahead, Billy," Mr. Sivana told him as he parked the car. "I have something I need to get." Billy unbuckled himself, getting out. He closed the door, looking at the thickly clustered trees around them. "She should be up ahead," the man said, and Billy nodded as he started out. He made his way through the underbrush, finally stepping out into a small clearing. Ms. Crosby waved at him, positively beaming as she grinned.

     "Billy!" she waved him over, and he cocked his head at her overexcited motions.

     "Ms. Crosby?"

     "Where's Thaddeus?" the woman asked, and Billy pointed back the way he'd came. As Mr. Sivana stepped out of the underbrush, he felt his stomach clench tight. The staff!? _Why the fuck did he have the staff_?

     "Lynn?" the man looked around as he joined them, "where're the others?"

     "About that," she murmured, licking her lips in sudden nervousness. "I invited you here a little early."

     "Why?" Mr. Sivana asked, lightly shaking his head in confusion.

     "Well... Do you remember that video I took?" They both nodded. "I... shared it with someone," she admitted.

     "Lynn!" Mr. Sivana rounded on her, his eyes wide, "who?"

     "I know we can trust them!" the woman hurriedly assured him. "I just- I thought they could help us with your powers, they-"

     _"Who_?" Mr. Sivana snapped, and she winced at his tone. She turned, pointing to their left, and Billy's mouth dropped open as Batman stepped out into the open, Cyborg and the Flash at his side as Aquaman leaned back against a tree. Wait a second. Billy frowned, trying to push down his excitement as he looked at the four of them. That wasn't right, where were-? He startled as a lasso dropped down around Mr. Sivana, the slack rope going taunt. As the man was hauled upwards and back, Billy gaped up at Wonder Woman and Superman.

     "What're you doing!?" Ms. Crosby yelled up at the Amazon, who adjusted her grip on the lasso.

     "This man has deceived you," Wonder Woman declared, glaring down at Mr. Sivana. "He is not the Wizard's Champion!"

     "But-" the doctor looked between them in confusion as the superheroine lowered the man back to the ground, "his powers!"

     "Mankind may have forgotten, but the Amazons have not! Tell them, pretender," Wonder Woman ordered Mr. Sivana the moment his feet touched the grass, "where do your powers come from?"

     "The-" Mr. Sivana's jaw worked, his teeth grinding together as he struggled against the glowing lasso's compulsion. "The Sins," he ground out. Billy's stomach bottomed out. He'd had suspicions, but to actually hear it- Mr. Sivana lurched back like he'd been shot, hunching over.

     "Thaddeus!" Ms. Crosby started for him, but the man shook his head.

     "Don't!" he shouted at her, and she stumbled to a halt.

     "Mr. Sivana?" Billy hesitantly asked, and the man's eyes snapped to his.

     "Run!" he yelled, and Billy gasped as he fell to his knees. The man jerked once, twice, and then fell sideways as he convulsed. Both Billy and the doctor ran for him, Ms. Crosby reaching him first. She dropped to her knees beside him, yanking at the lasso.

     "Let him go!" she yelled at Wonder Woman, and the superheroine freed him. Billy reached them just as the man managed to speak again.

     "Leave," he grunted, and the woman drew back in surprise as shadows flickered over his face, obscuring his features. "The Sins-" he gasped out, clawing at the grass to push himself up, "I can't keep-" Billy cowered as massive, hulking things burst out from the shadows covering Mr. Sivana's face, their cloudlike appearances gaining solid form as Ms. Crosby scrambled away from Mr. Sivana and grabbed Billy's hand. She pulled him away, an unholy screech coming from above them.

     "Run!" the woman yelled, pushing him ahead of her, "g-" Billy closed his eyes as something wet splashed against his face. He opened his eyes. Ms. Crosby stood stock still, staring wide eyed at the clawed hand sticking out through her stomach. The tall monster behind her smiled down at them, closing its hand into a fist as it pulled it free of the woman. The tugging motion jerked her hand from his, and he watched as she fell back.

     "Lynn," Mr. Sivana gasped out, utterly horrified. He reached out to her with a shaking hand as the demon turned to him.

     " _Weak_ ," it hissed, and Billy screamed as the monster casually raked its bloodied talons across the man's face. It turned at the sound, lips peeling back to reveal pointed teeth as it grinned. " _Champion_ ," it addressed him, reaching out. Wonder Woman's lasso snagged the creature by its wrist, stopping it just short of him.

     "Leave the boy, Sin," she commanded it, "face me!" She drew her sword, slipping her shield into place as it spread leathery wings and leapt at her. They collided in a clash of metal and flesh, the other monsters taking to the skies as the rest of the Leaguers engaged.

     "Wait!" Billy looked between the doctor and Mr. Sivana, "help us!" he yelled up to the battling superheroes. Mr. Siana groaned, reaching up to cover his torn, bloodied face as he curled in on himself. Ms. Crosby was worse, a pool of blood steadily spreading out from her as she placed a hand over the hole in her stomach. Could they even get her to a hospital in time? He didn't know! Billy looked around, hoping to find something, _anything_ , that could help, when his eyes landed on the staff.

_"I open my heart to you, Billy Batson," Shazam intoned, his voice deep and thick with desperate emotion as he looked into the boy's wide eyes, "and in doing so, gift you my power, and the powers of my brothers and sisters! You are our new beginning, and through you their seats will no longer sit empty!"_

     Would... would that work? He looked back at the adults, swallowing hard as he pushed himself up. He had to try! The boy started out on unsteady legs, stumbling as a loud screech sounded from above. He ignored the urge to stop and look, reaching out and grabbing the staff once he reached it. It was heavier than he'd expected, and the boy gritted his teeth as he pulled it back towards Mr. Sivana and Ms. Crosby. He struggled to hold it upright between them, shuddering as he took Ms. Crosby's clammy hand and curled it around the base of the staff. He then took Mr. Sivana's hand and put his over hers.

     "Say it," he begged the two adults, "say the Wizard's name!" The doctor slowly blinked at the sound of his voice, and she weakly shifted her head to look up at him. Mr. Sivana twitched, the man uncurling slightly as Billy screamed at them. " _SAY HIS NAME_!" Ms. Crosby took a thin breath, Mr. Sivana's hand tightening on hers as together, they managed to speak. Thunder roared above, and Billy cried out and shut his eyes as blinding lightning smashed into the ground. As it faded, the boy opened his eyes. Please, _please_! As the smoke cleared, he finally saw them. Ms. Crosby stood before him, patting in utter disbelief at the purple fabric covering her healed stomach. And beside her... Billy grinned, blinking away tears as he reached for the man. "Mr. Sivana!"


	36. The Orb

     The pain was gone. Thaddeus blinked as Billy hugged him, the man struggling to understand what had happened.

     “Billy? What?” He touched the fabric of the uniform he now wore, the bright red coloration reminding him of Billy’s own Champion uniform. He shook his head.

     “I had to try something,” Billy replied, shrugging. “It _worked.”_

“How?” Ms. Crosby asked, still touching her stomach in disbelief. “I felt it, I was dying, I-”

     A furious shriek came from overhead, and Thaddeus looked up. The winged Sin angled downward, dodging past Wonder Woman as it reached for Billy. _No._  Thaddeus lashed out the only way he knew how, hands outstretched as he focused. Lightning burst from his fingertips, scorching the being’s side as it screamed. It tucked its wings in, swooping away from them, and Thaddeus lowered his hands. He still had lightning? But how? He shook his head, pushing his confusion aside as he looked up at the other Sins. They had shown him their thoughts before they’d separated from him. They would kill every person here, and that would just be the beginning. And _he’d_ let them out. God, how could he have ever been so blind? Another unholy scream came from their left, and Thaddeus turned to face their newest attacker. 

 

     It wasn’t enough, he realized. Neither side was winning _or_ losing. His eye twinged, and the man reached up to rub at it as he...

His eye.

     The source of his original powers, where the Sins had stored themselves before this. But his eye was normal now, where had the Orb gone? He turned his head, looking back at Billy. The boy was standing pressed up against his back, wide eyed as he watched the super heroes fight.

     “Billy?” The boy looked up at him. “I need you to step back.” Hesitantly, he did as he’d been told. Thaddeus looked to skies above, raising his voice as he shouted. “Shazam!” Lightning crackled down, thunder echoing across the opening as he reached up to touch his eye. It was smooth, glassy. The Orb.

     “Mr. Sivana, what are you doing!?” Billy called to him, but Thaddeus didn’t reply as he felt around it. Sucking a breath in, he pushed his thumb and index finger _in._  The man shuddered when he felt them easily slide into his eye socket, feeling the smooth surface of the Orb as he hooked his fingers and pulled. God, it felt _strange_. Goosebumps broke out on his arms as he tugged at it, feeling it brush against the edges of his eye socket before it finally came out. It throbbed in his hand, a blue mist swirling about it as the Sins wailed as one. He watched, wide eyed, as the demons seemingly collapsed in on themselves mid attack. Their forms changed, turning from solid to something more like puffs of smoke as he held the Orb high. They reached for him as they were pulled past, and Thaddeus shuddered at their phantom touch as they were sucked inside. The man stood in almost comical silence as the Justice League, Ms. Crosby, and Billy all stared at him.

     “Thaddeus?” The woman shook her head, cautiously eyeing the gleaming Orb. “What is that?”

     “The Eye Of Sin,” Wonder Woman replied in a hushed voice, the Amazon wearily approaching him as the others joined her. “ _No,_ ” she said, stepping back when Thaddeus offered it to her. “I _dare_ _not_ touch it.” Thaddeus frowned, looking down at it. The Orb shimmered in the sunlight, and he thought he heard the voices of the Sins whispering- He closed his hand, cutting off their low voices as he looked up at her.

     “Can it go back where it came from?” He asked, and she nodded. He knew what he had to do, then.


	37. Choice

     He opened his eye to the now familiar sight of grey stones and darkness. Billy shuddered, stepping closer to him as the others looked around.

     “This... this is _amazing_ ,” Dr. Crosby breathed, her wide eyes darting about as he started down the hallway.

     “It is an honor to be here,” Wonder Woman agreed, her voice low with awe. “It has been generations since an Amazon set foot in the Rock of Eternity.”

     “The Rock of what?” The Flash asked, cocking an eyebrow at her as they followed Thaddeus.

     “The Rock of Eternity,” she repeated for him as Thaddeus entered the throne room. “It is the seat of all magic on Earth.”

     “Uh huh...” the Flash murmured, and Thaddeus pulled the Orb from his coat pocket, returning it to the gleaming container. He eyed it for a moment, then stepped back and faced the group.

     “Now,” the Amazon said, her hands on her hips, “what should be done with the Pretender?” His shoulders slumped- that’s what he’d been waiting for.

     “Wait, what?” Billy stepped between them, shaking his head. “What’re you talking about?”

     “He freed the Sins from their confinement,” Wonder Woman explained, “he would have doomed humanity had you not been chosen as Champion.”

     “And then he stuck them back in the glass ball thing,” Billy hurriedly reminded her.

     “Which he took them from to begin with,” she said. “How long would he have kept that from you both?” the woman asked, looking between Billy and Dr. Crosby. “How long could he have gone before the Sins overwhelmed his control?” Not for long, Thaddeus admitted to himself. He would have tried, but the way the Sins had so easily broken from him... He’d never actually been in control, had he? They’d just let him believe it.

     “What would you do to him?” Dr. Crosby asked.

     “His fate isn’t mine to decide,” Wonder Woman replied. “For something as grave as this, my mother would need to pass judgement.”

     “But-” Billy tried to start, but Thaddeus interrupted him.

     “No,” he finally said, stepping forward. “She’s right- I did this. Dr. Crosby?”

     “Yes?” she asked. He... he didn't want to do this. But... He looked at Billy, making his decision.

     “I’ll have to contact the foster agency before I go with them, would you watch over Billy till they-” The boy spun towards him, his eyes going wide.

     “ _What_?”

     “The Sins, they wanted to hurt you,” Thaddeus told him.

     “But they didn’t!”

     “They nearly killed Dr. Crosby,” he said, looking to the woman. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered, “If it hadn’t been for Billy, you...”

      “I’m fine,” she reassured him, reaching out to touch his shoulder before looking between him and Billy. “Are you sure about this, Thaddeus?”

     “I am,” he said, nodding. Then why did it hurt? He was doing what was best for the boy, this was what he needed.

     “What’re you _doing_?” Billy demanded, shaking his head. “I- you can’t just leave me!”

     “I... I’m not a good man, Billy,” Thaddeus admitted, “the agency can find you a better family, people who will-”

     “I don’t _want_ a better family!” Billy cried out, reaching out to grab ahold of his arm, “I want _you!_ ” Thaddeus closed his eye, swallowing as he tried to peel the boy’s fingers from his sleeve.

     “Billy-”

     “Maybe we’re acting too quickly,” Batman spoke up, stepping forward as Wonder Woman gave him a questioning look.

     “What would you suggest we do, then?” she asked.

     “Let him stay,” the man said, and she frowned. “Dr. Crosby invited us here to help him train his powers, we could watch over him while we help them.” When she merely raised an eyebrow at him, he sighed. “We’ve all done things we regret, Wonder Woman. And if we’re comparing mistakes,” his lips quirked up in an unamused smile, “mine almost doomed the world before his.” The Amazon considered it, then unhooked her lasso and held it out to Thaddeus.

     “Take hold of the lasso,” she instructed him, and he did as told. It gleamed in their hands, the golden light bathing them. “This is the golden perfect,” she explained, “its essence is truth, and truth brings understanding. I can see the intent of your heart, but I must ask you this- will you ever seek the power of the Sins again?”

     “No,” Thaddeus swore, looking to the boy and Dr. Crosby. “It nearly took them from me. I will never touch the Orb again.” Wonder Woman nodded, and he let go of the lasso. The Amazon smiled, her posture relaxing as she looked between the three of them.

     “Then it has been decided. On behalf of the League, I welcome you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! There was originally going to be another chapter, but I decided that it’d work better in the sequel. Yup, there’s going to be a sequel :-D  
> I’ll be trying to strengthen Thaddeus’s and Billy’s relationship, work on the Justice League and their ‘monster of the week/story’, and have Billy’s mom finally make her way in. Is there anything else you guys would like me to think about doing in the sequel?


End file.
